Hay fever affects 2 in 10 Filipino adults, 600 million people globally – doctors

Hay fever—broadly described as the inflammation of the membranes lining the nose—affects 20 percent of Filipino adults and about 600 million globally, a doctors' group said at a recent event.

Also known as allergic rhinitis, hay fever has cold-like signs and symptoms, such as a runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion, sneezing, and sinus pressure. It is triggered by an allergic response to outdoor or indoor irritants such as pollen, dust mites, or pet’s dander (dead skin that is shed).

Two out of every 10 Filipinos suffer from allergic rhinitis, said Dr. Jovilia M. Abong, immediate past president of the Philippine Society of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (PSAAI), citing data from the 2008 National Nutrition and Health Survey.

She added that according to the survey, residents in rural areas reported a higher prevalence of nose symptoms over a period of 12 months (22 percent) compared with residents in urban areas (18 percent). Respiratory allergies also doubled during the period 1986– 2006.

Underdiagnosed

In the Philippines, the top five most common “aero-allergens” are house dust mites, house dust mixture, cockroach, mold spores, cat’s hair or pet’s dander.

“The burden of disease associated with allergic rhinitis is significant, with nasal congestion as the most common and troublesome symptom,” Abong said.

Though the World Health Organization has classified allergic disease as the fourth most important chronic disease in the world,

Allergic rhinitis is considered a major chronic respiratory disease because of:

• its prevalence,
• its impact on the quality of life,
• its effect on work or school performance and productivity,
• the economic burden it places on the patient, and
• its links with asthma, sinusitis, sleep disorders and other diseases or conditions.

However, despite this, allergic rhinitis is frequently underdiagnosed and undertreated.

“There are still unmet needs in the treatment of allergic rhinitis,” said Abong.

Abong and other experts discussed allergies during the launch in the country of bilastine, a relatively new non-sedating, second-generation antihistamine drug used to treat allergic rhinitis and urticaria, a skin reaction that causes red or white itchy welts.

“Bilastine provides rapid relief of allergic rhinitis and urticaria symptoms," noted allergy specialist Prof. Ralph Mösges, chairman of the Institute of Medical Statistics, Informatics, and Epidemiology at the University of Cologne, at the event. He noted that the medicine follows international therapeutic guidelines "and has the ideal combination of high efficacy and good safety and tolerability profile."

Those who believe they may be suffering from undiagnosed allergic rhinities should consult their doctors before trying any treatments. — BM, GMA News