The wider availability of foods from around the world and an increase in the number of birch trees being planted are two of the factors behind the doubling of hospital admissions in England for life-threatening allergic reactions in the past 20 years, the UK’s leading allergy charity has said.
Amena Warner, head of clinical services at Allergy UK, the leading national patient charity for people living with all types of allergy, told the Guardian the rise was “hugely worrying”.
There were 25,721 admissions to English hospitals for allergies and anaphylaxis in 2022-23, more than double the 12,361 recorded two decades before, according to data obtained by the drugs regulator the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).
For food-related anaphylaxis and other adverse reactions, the figures increased from 1,971 admissions in 2002-03 to 5,013 last year.
Anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction caused by food, medicine or insect stings, appears to be on the increase.
Warner said the wider availability and consumption of foods from around the world was contributing to the rise in allergy-related hospitalisations.
“We are seeing trends in people being allergic to lentils, chickpeas and kiwis, foods that in years past weren’t part of the British diet.”
Eating out also poses risks that are not immediately recognised.
“We had somebody call our helpline not so long ago, and they had an anaphylactic reaction when they went to a gin bar.
“There was some pink peppercorn floating on the top of the gin. Pink peppercorn cross-reacts with cashew and this person had a cashew nut allergy.”
The rise in the number of birch trees being planted has led to an increase in pollen fruit syndrome.
“We have got some very allergenic trees, one of which is the short-lived birch. It will try and get all its pollen out en masse each season,” she said. “That could sensitise somebody who is predisposed to allergy.”
Symptoms of anaphylaxis, which is also known as anaphylactic shock, come on rapidly and include:
Swelling of the throat and tongue.
Difficulty breathing or very fast breathing.
Wheezing, coughing or noisy breathing.
Difficulty swallowing.
Feeling confused, dizzy or faint.
Swollen, raised or itchy rash.
Blue, grey or pale skin, lips or tongue.
In 2018, 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died after eating a Pret baguette containing sesame. Her mother, Tanya Ednan-Laperouse, who cofounded the Natasha Allergy Research Foundation, said: “These figures released from the MHRA are sadly not surprising.
“The largest increase in food allergy diagnosis has been in children 15 and under, and now we are seeing between one and two children in every classroom living with a diagnosed food allergy.
“It is time for the government to prioritise allergy medical research, treatment and care within the health system, starting by appointing an allergy tsar to develop a national allergy strategy.”
The MHRA said it had strengthened its guidance on how to respond to anaphylaxis, including the use of adrenaline auto-injectors (EpiPen and Jext), which are prescribed to people at risk of anaphylaxis.
People should, in this order: use their auto-injector pen immediately if they have any signs of anaphylaxis; immediately dial 999 and say anaphylaxis; lay down flat and raise their legs (or if pregnant, lay on the left side); stay lying down even if they feel better, and use a second auto-injector if they have not improved after five minutes.
Laura Squire, the MHRA’s chief officer for healthcare quality and access, said: “These figures highlight just how serious the consequences of allergies can be, and the rising numbers of hospitalisations highlight the need to know how to act in an emergency.”
