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Are Allergies Increasing?

  • Conference paper
New Trends in Allergy III

Abstract

A presumed rise in the prevalence of atopic diseases in industrialized countries is currently subject to extensive discussion. Due to a lack of epidemiological long-term studies, the controversy between experts was for some time basically confined to speculation.

Only recently, data from various European countries have confirmed an increase of atopic diseases. Studies from Sweden, Switzerland and Denmark showed a clear-cut multiplication of hay fever, bronchical asthma and atopic eczema, respectively. Japanese investigators have aimed at the putative role of air pollutants in this development. They were able to show a relationship between the exposure to particulate air pollutants (diesel exhaust) and the prevelance of mountain cedar pollinosis. The lack of baseline data has hampered up to now the evaluation of epidemiologic trends in Germany. We performed a pilot survey study involving more than 1000 pre-school children that yielded preliminary insights into an unexpectedly high prevalence of allergic conditions in Bavaria. The comparison to actual epidemiologic data from other European countries suggests an increase of allergies in Germany similar to that observed elsewhere. Longitudinal epidemiologic studies and a closer monitoring of environmental hazards are required to allow an objective evaluation of trends in the prevalence of allergic diseases and their putative triggering factors.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dermatologische Klinik und Poliklinik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Frauenlobstrasse 9-11, W-8000, München 2, Federal Republic of Germany

    B. Kunz

  2. Universitätshautklinik und Allergie-Abteilung, Universitätskrankenhaus Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, W-2000, Hamburg 20, Federal Republic of Germany

    J. Ring

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  1. B. Kunz
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hautklinik und Allergie-Abteilung, Universitäts-Krankenhaus Eppendorf, Martinistrasse 52, 2000, Hamburg 20, Federal Republic of Germany

    Johannes Ring

  2. Dermatologische Klinik und Poliklinik, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Frauenlobstrasse 9-11, 8000, München 2, Federal Republic of Germany

    Bernhard Przybilla

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© 1991 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Kunz, B., Ring, J. (1991). Are Allergies Increasing?. In: Ring, J., Przybilla, B. (eds) New Trends in Allergy III. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-46717-2_1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-46717-2_1

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-46719-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-46717-2

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