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Women and Allergy

An allergy is an abnormal reaction by the immune system to a normally harmless substance found in the environment.1 It is estimated that 30–40% of the global population is affected by allergies.2

The World Allergy Organization has indicated that complex allergies in women involving polysensitization, multiple organ involvement, and high morbidity are increasing, placing a higher burden on healthcare delivery services around the globe.3

Studies indicate there is a role for sex hormones in allergy and autoimmunity, leading to more females suffering from allergies after puberty than males. Women allergy sufferers often report more-severe symptoms and more admissions to the emergency department and hospital than men.4

  • Worldwide, 220–520 million people may suffer from a food allergy, and10–30% of the population is afflicted with allergic rhinitis.3
  • Food allergies affect more adult women than adult men.5
  • The prevalence of asthma and incidence of asthma exacerbations are consistently higher in women than men.6

  

Risk Factors

Risk Factors

  • Females are slightly more likely to have food allergies than males, with percentages of reported reactions at 4.1 and 3.8% respectively.7
  • Allergies are very common in pregnancy; about a quarter of all expectant mothers experience them. Not all are long-term allergy sufferers—many women with no known prior allergies experience their symptoms only during pregnancy.8
  • People inherit a tendency to be allergic, although not to any specific allergen. When one parent is allergic, his or her child has a 50% chance of having allergies. That risk jumps to 75% if both parents have allergies.9


Symptoms

Allergy Symptoms in Women
Common allergy symptoms in women resulting in a reaction to inhaled or skin allergens include9:

  • Itchy, watery eyes
  • Sneezing
  • Itchy, runny nose

 

  • Rashes
  • Feeling tired or ill
  • Hives (a rash with raised patches)

Global Burden of Allergies
Allergies are a very common problem, affecting at least 2 out of every 10 Americans.9 A steady increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases globally has occurred, with about 30–40% of the world population now affected by one or more allergic conditions.

In many countries, attempts to tackle these problems on a national basis are widely variable and fragmented, resulting in decreased quality of life, increased morbidity and mortality, and considerable cost to patients with allergic diseases.10

Solutions

Fast and accurate diagnosis of allergies is important to start appropriate treatment to alleviate symptoms. Appropriate education for patients and families is fundamental to the management of allergic disease.

Siemens Diagnostic Solutions for Allergy Testing

 

Allergen-Specific IgE 3gAllergy™

 

      X

 

Total IgE

      X

      X

      X

1
Website [Internet]. [cited 2013 Mar 12] Available from: http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/Allergies
2
WAO Journal [Internet]. February 2012. [cited 2013 Mar 12] Available from: http://www.waojournal.org/content/pdf/1939-4551-5-2-20.pdf
3
WAO White Book on Allergy 2011-2012: Executive Summary [Internet]. Available from: http://www.worldallergy.org/publications/wao_white_book.pdf
4
Shah S. Hormonal Link to Autoimmune Allergies. Division of Science, University of Mumbai, Mumbai 400032, India; Received 23 April 2012; Accepted 9 July 2012. International Scholarly Research Network; ISRN Allergy; Volume 2012, Article ID 910437, 5 pages.
5
Kelly C, Gangur V. Sex Disparity in Food Allergy: Evidence from the PubMed Database; Received 25 January 2009; Accepted 4 June 2009. Hindawi Publishing Corporation; Journal of Allergy; Volume 2009, Article ID 159845, 7 pages.
6
Bondsa RS, Midoro-Horiutib T. Estrogen effects in allergy and asthma. Curr Opin Allergy Clin Immunol. 2013 Feb;13(1):92-99.
7
Website [Internet]. [cited 2014 Jul 02] Available from: http://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/statistics
8
Website [Internet]. [cited 2014 Jul 02] Available from: http://www.whattoexpect.com/pregnancy/pregnancy-health/if-you-get-sick/allergies.aspx
9
Website [Internet]. [cited 2014 Jul 02] Available from: http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/allergy-basics
10
Website [Internet]. [cited 2014 Jul 02] Available from: http://www.worldallergy.org/publications/wao_white_book.pdf
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