Allergy Statistics

Who is Affected?

Allergic rhinitis is the most common allergic disease.

• 10% of people may have seasonal allergic rhinitis
• 10–20% of people may have perennial allergic rhinitis
• In the US, 20–40 million people may have allergic rhinitis

Allergic rhinitis is more common in children.

• 20% of children with allergic rhinitis develop their symptoms by 2–3 years of age, and 40% develop symptoms by 6 years of age

The number of people affected by allergic rhinitis is increasing.

• The reason for the increase is not clear, but may be because of increasing levels of air pollution, rising dust mite numbers, less ventilation in houses and offices, dietary factors, sedentary lifestyles, and high hygiene standards that reduce exposure to natural microbes (the hygiene hypothesis)
• The number of children with allergic rhinitis has doubled in the last 20 years

Perennial Allergic Rhinitis

Approximately 40% of all cases of allergic rhinitis are perennial allergic rhinitis. This is caused by year-round exposure to dust mites, pollen (in those areas where exposure is all year), cockroaches, indoor moulds, and pet dander's (e.g. fur, feathers, and skin). Perennial allergic rhinitis generally lasts for over 9 months of the year. The main symptoms are:

• a blocked nose
• an itchy nose (less common)
• sneezing (less common)
• a runny nose (less common)

Perennial Allergic Rhinitis With Seasonal Worsening

Approximately 40% of all cases of allergic rhinitis are perennial allergic rhinitis that worsens during the pollen season.

People who suffer from this have symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis during the year, plus symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis during the pollen season.

Allergy Statistics

• Estimates from a skin test survey suggest that allergies affect as many as 40 to 50 million people in the United States.¹
• Allergic diseases affect more than 20% of the U.S. population.²
• Allergic diseases are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in the United States.¹
• At least 35.9 million people in the United States have seasonal allergic rhinitis (hay fever).³
• Approximately 14.1 million physician office visits each year are attributed to allergic rhinitis. 4
• Immunotherapy is ultimately successful in up to 90% of patients with seasonal allergic rhinitis and in 70 to 80% with perennial allergic rhinitis.⁵
• The estimated overall costs of allergic rhinitis in the United States in 1996 totaled $6 billion.⁶
• It is estimated that in 1998, increased absenteeism and reduced productivity due to allergies cost U.S. companies more than $250 million.8
• Sinusitis develops in approximately 31 million Americans each year.⁹
• Chronic sinusitis affects nearly 35 million people in the United States.¹⁰
• People suffering from sinusitis miss an average of four days of work each year.¹⁰
• There are more than 18 million office visits to primary care physicians resulting in a diagnosis of sinusitis annually.¹⁰
• In 1996, overall health care expenditures attributable to sinusitis in the United States were estimated to be over $5.8 billion.⁷
• There is an association between sinusitis and asthma. The incidence of sinusitis in asthmatic subjects ranges from 40 to 75%.¹⁰

Footnotes:

1. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). The Allergy Report: Science Based Findings on the Diagnosis & Treatment of Allergic Disorders, 1996-2001.
2. American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Task Force on Allergic Disorders. Executive Summary Report. (1998).
3. Natahn, R.A., Meltzer, E.O., Selner, J.C., Storms, W. "Prevalence of Allergic Rhinitis in the United States." Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (1997) 99:S808-14.
4. United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Health Statistics. National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey; 2002 Summary, table 13.
5. Fireman, P. "The Most Common Allergy: Allergic Rhinitis." The Allergy Report 1998; Discover Magazine (March 1998) S-13-14.
6. Ray, N.F., Baraniuk, J.N., Thamer, M., et al: Healthcare expenditures for sinusitis in 1996: contributions or asthma, rhinitis and other airway disorders. J. of Allergy Clin. Immunology, 103 (3 Pt 1): 408-514, 1999.
7. CDC. Fast Stats A-Z, Vital and Health Statistics, Series 10, no. 13, 1999. Web: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/allergies.htm
8. Hewitt Associates LLC. The Effects of Allergies in the Workplace. 1998.
9. "Parameters for the Diagnosis and Management of Sinusitis." J of Allergy and Clin. Immunology (1998) 102:S107-S144.
10. CDC, Vita and Health Statistics, Current Estimates from the National Health Interview Survey, 1994 (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Public Health Service, National Center for Health Statistics): DHHS Pub. No. PHS 96-1521, December 1995.