Shiogo Allen
Nov 4, 20212 min
Allergies are extremely annoying, that is certain. But how many people have them, and how bad do they get? Allergies can be very serious and life threatening, or nothing but a mild nuisance. They can come in many different forms, like nut allergies, or being allergic to a certain type of animal.
People are allergic to all sorts of common things, like dust and pollen, but there are also different types of allergic responses. From Medicine Net, there are four different types of allergic reactions. The first type can be a runny nose, itchy eyes, difficulty breathing, skin rashes, and Anaphylaxis, a very severe and possibly life threatening allergic reaction which can include hives, tongue swelling, vomiting, and even shock. The second type includes decreased red and white blood cells, along with a lower platelet count. The third reaction type can be lupus, or rashes on the face, appetite and hair loss, joint pain, fever, fatigue, and more. The third type also includes serum sickness, which can be represented with a rash or fever. The fourth reactions usually appear long after exposure to the allergen, and can include tuberculosis and fungal skin infections. Some different causes of allergies can be dust mites, animal dander, pollen, bee stings, along with certain foods, medications, and plants.
From the CDC on Allergens and Pollens, “Allergic conjunctivitis is found in up to 30% of the general population and as many as 7 out of 10 of patients with allergic rhinitis.” This is a lot of people that are affected by allergies. While this percentage may be increased due to the fact that “Extreme rainfall and rising temperatures also can contribute to indoor air quality problems,” This is still a massive amount of people. If the data applies to the US, in 2019 about 98.5 million people living in the United States of America would have allergies.
A lot of people in the world have allergies, that is clear. But does the same data that applies to the US apply to our school? Based on a school survey about allergies, 31 of the 60 surveyed people had allergies. About 51% of the people had allergies, and about 52% of these people had a runny nose, itchy eyes, difficulty breathing, and/or skin rashes as an allergic reaction. Additionally, 25% of surveyed students with allergies had extremely mild cases, and only two had very severe levels. Most people were in the middle, with 15 students at a 4-6 range(1 being extremely mild and harmless, 10 being possibly life threatening)
Most of the surveyed were allergic to either types of pollen/bees, dogs, cats and pets in general, and certain fruit and food types like cantaloupe or kiwi.
A lot of people have allergies. Even in this school, about half of the students are affected by them, and the percentages are rather similar to the ones given by the CDC. Allergies can range from being allergic to pollen and dust in the air to unique things like penicillin and doxycycline. If you have allergies, just remember to avoid touching your face, and stay careful.
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