Decrease in eczema and hayfever noted

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

After increasing over the past several years, it looks as if eczema and hayfever may be finally on the decline.
For many years, eczema and hayfever were on the increase in the UK. Now researchers say figures are stable and might even be in decline. Diagnoses of eczema and hayfever in children went up threefold over 30 years but now there seems to be a decrease in the reporting of symptoms to doctors. Hospital admissions for eczema have stabilized since 1995 as well, and those for hayfever are down by 40 per cent on 1990.

Between 1971 and 1991, consultations with a doctor for hayfever went up by 260 per cent and for eczema by 150 per cent. But these figures have been stable over the last decade. However, there has been an increase in hospital admission for anaphylaxis - serious allergic reaction - especially when linked to food allergies, like peanut allergy. The findings may reflect differences in medical practice, but also changes in the sources of allergies - from local to systemic.

Source
Thorax online First 30th August 2006

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