About Allergies
Allergies, whether they are to food, drugs, the environment, or other triggers, have potentially adverse consequences for millions of people worldwide. Recent estimates conclude that between 30% to 40% of the global population suffers from one or more allergic conditions.
Allergy Fast Facts
- 32 million Americans currently living with food allergy.
- One in three Americans has some form of allergies.
- One in eight Americans has asthma.
- One in 13 children in the U.S. suffers from food allergy. That's approximately two per classroom.
- It is estimated that one in 20 adults in America (5%) has a physician-diagnosed food allergy.
- Nearly 40% of food-allergic children have experienced a severe food-induced reaction.
- The global prevalence of food allergies has increased in recent decades, with some countries reporting a doubling of rates every 10 years.
- Approximately $25 billion is spent in reactive food allergy care each year.
- There are an estimated 90,000 emergency room visits related to food allergies every year in the United States.
- Every three minutes there is a visit to the emergency room due to a food allergy-induced anaphylactic reaction.
- In the U.S., the specific allergens responsible for most food-allergic reactions are: shellfish, peanut, cow's milk, tree nut, egg, fin fish, wheat, soy, and sesame seeds.
The Financial Impact
A national study published in JAMA Pediatrics shows that caring for children with food allergies costs families in the U.S. an estimated $24.8 billion ($4,184 per year per child) each year. Direct medical costs – those expenses that consist of doctor’s visits, emergency department visits, and hospitalizations – account for an estimated $4.3 billion alone. In addition, having a child with food allergy increases the yearly cost of raising a child by about 30 percent.
