{"id":836,"date":"2023-05-16T08:00:07","date_gmt":"2023-05-16T00:00:07","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.pacificprime.hk\/blog\/?p=836"},"modified":"2023-05-16T10:39:01","modified_gmt":"2023-05-16T02:39:01","slug":"allergies-hong-kong","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.pacificprime.hk\/blog\/allergies-hong-kong\/","title":{"rendered":"Allergies in Hong Kong: A Growing Epidemic?"},"content":{"rendered":"

According to the WHO<\/a>, around 40 percent of the world\u2019s population has allergies. This makes them one of the most common chronic illnesses and includes food allergy, asthma, atopic eczema, ocular allergy, insect allergy, nasal allergy, and more. The proportion of allergy sufferers in big cities is on the rise, and Hong Kong is by no means spared from this growing epidemic.<\/p>\n

This article by Pacific Prime Hong Kong<\/a> addresses everything you need to know about allergies and looks at whether allergy treatment is covered by your health insurance.<\/p>\n

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\"General<\/a><\/p><\/div>\n\n

The Allergy Situation in Hong Kong<\/h2>\n

In Hong Kong, more than one in two people suffer from at least one or more forms of allergies. What\u2019s more, the number of children under the age of 14 who develop certain types of allergies (e.g. rhinitis and eczema) is increasing.<\/p>\n

Over the course of 11 years, over 2,800 people were hospitalized over 3,000 times with a physician-reported diagnosis of anaphylaxis. (More about the research here<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Equally worrying is the fact that despite the high demand for allergy services in HK, the ratio of allergy specialists per population is quite low compared to international figures (about 1:1.46 million of the population). As such, many patients go to their GPs instead for allergy-related treatments.<\/p>\n

Children born in Hong Kong are also at a higher risk of developing allergies. Babies delivered through c-sections are five times more likely<\/a> to develop allergies, potentially because delivery by caesarean section interferes with a baby\u2019s ability to obtain beneficial germs from the mother\u2019s microbiome. With four in 10 babies born via C-section in Hong Kong<\/a>, the city-state has one of the highest rates of C-section births in the world.<\/p>\n

What Exactly is an Allergy?<\/h2>\n

Do you sneeze, or does your nose get itchy when the season changes? Do you get rashes or have diarrhoea after eating certain types of food? These might be signs of an allergy. But, what exactly is an allergy? According to the Hong Kong Institute of Allergy<\/a>, \u201callergic reactions occur when the immune system reacts inappropriately to otherwise harmless substances\u201d.<\/p>\n

Your immune system sees certain substances to be a potential threat, which results in allergic reactions. Your body responds to these allergies by fighting them off or going into shock, which can result in symptoms like rashes, swelling, or even trouble breathing.<\/p>\n

Some of the common allergic reactions include eczema, asthma, and nasal allergies. Avoiding allergens is a key aspect of treating allergies because exposure to environmental allergens is what triggers these issues. Common allergens include house dust mites, pet hair, mold spores, and pollen. It’s worth noting that in Hong Kong, house dust mites are the most common indoor allergen.<\/p>\n

Allergies can cause a range of symptoms, from mild to severe, and in some cases, can even lead to anaphylactic shock. Unfortunately, many people who suffer from allergies are unaware of their condition until they experience a reaction.<\/p>\n

Looking at Our Immune System<\/h3>\n

Immune systems work by identifying harmful substances (e.g. viruses and parasites) and reacting accordingly to put an end to this danger.<\/p>\n

When the immune system encounters harmless substances such as pollen or food, the immune system identifies this substance as harmless and thus creates a tolerance response. Subsequently, antibodies and cells that block or suppress active immune reactions are produced to prevent immune reactions when the body is again exposed to the substance.<\/p>\n

However, when immune systems react to these normally harmless substances (allergens) by producing active responses (e.g. producing hives from eating shellfish), it releases a chemical called histamine to counteract it. This response causes a range of symptoms, including swelling, nausea, diarrhea, etc.<\/p>\n

Common allergens<\/a> include:<\/p>\n