This Tuesday, May 2, 2023, is World Asthma and Allergy Day. The opportunity to explain why allergies are more and more common in France…
In 1962, around 3% of French people suffered from allergies. Today, food allergies (to fruit, nuts, etc.) or even pollen allergies (from birch, cypress, grass, etc.) affect 25% to 30% of the French population. And according to the World Health Organization (WHO), in 2050, 50% of French people will be allergic.
Asthma, a pathology generally linked to allergies, is also on the rise: 15 years ago, “only” 2% of the French population suffered from it. Today, this disease affects 7% of French people.
The culprits: air pollution and global warming
How can we explain this worrying progression? The increase in the number of pollen allergy sufferers, in particular, can be explained in two ways. First, there is the global warming. Indeed: in a drought situation, plants produce more pollen to be able to reproduce. The lack of rain also causes allergenic substances to remain in the air, making them easier to inhale.
Secondly, there is atmospheric pollution. Fine particles (which are emitted in particular by road traffic) cause the “little bags” which contain pollen to explode and which are suspended in the air, while irritating the mucous membranes which line our respiratory tract. Result: the body considers pollen as a threat, it develops antibodies… and this is when allergy symptoms appear.
Source :The ParisianTuesday May 2, 2023