Allergy medication use in Belgium up 70%

Allergy medication use in Belgium has increased by nearly 70% in the last several years, according to figures from the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance (INAMI), De Morgen reports. "Allergies are increasingly treated with meds, but meanwhile we are headed for an epidemic," warns clinical immunology expert and allergy specialist at the University Hospital of Antwerp, Didier Ebo.

In 2005, INAMI reimbursed nearly 108 million daily doses of allergy medication. In 2013, that number increased by 68%, to 182 million daily doses, which translates to a cost increase in that period from €27 million to nearly €41 million. But that’s only a fraction of the total, as the INAMI figures do not include allergy medication prescribed for other symptoms such as head colds or insomnia.

Professor Ebo is not surprised. "If you compare these numbers with 30 or 40 years ago, the increase is huge," he says. "Allergies are becoming the epidemic of the 21st century."

According to the professor, one in four people will at some point in their life encounter health problems related to allergies. "There are currently only about 10 people working on the issue in Belgium, even though allergies affect about a quarter of all patients."

An allergy is a reaction of the immune system to foreign substances, called allergens. Common allergens include pollen, animal dander, dust mite droppings or certain foods. "Food allergies are especially on the rise," says Ebo.