I Wish I Knew…How Our New Campaign Will Highlight Key Interventions

Allergy UK has launched a powerful campaign to highlight three key interventions into allergies aimed at helping patients and we welcome the involvement of healthcare professionals to help increase our impact. 

The ‘I Wish I Knew…’ campaign was developed in response to rising allergy cases – with 1 in 2 people in Europe estimated to be living with an allergy by 2026, according to the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.  

There are many theories as to why allergies are on the rise. Modern lifestyles, dietary changes, climate change and pollution are all thought to be factors driving the rise in allergies.  Healthcare colleagues will no doubt be aware that more people are presenting with allergic conditions and will be facing the challenge of helping them navigate their condition or conditions. 

The campaign, which will run for at least 12 months, opened its first chapter by highlighting “three things” that we want everyone to know about allergy. These are:   

Our aim is to ensure anyone affected by allergy is equipped to recognise symptoms early and access timely support. The right knowledge at the right time has the potential to significantly change the course of an allergy journey.   

With appropriate awareness and education, individuals can be empowered to seek diagnosis, initiate management strategies and access treatment pathways that can prevent severe reactions, reduce complications and improve quality of life. An allergy diagnosis serves as a gateway to evidence-based care and practicable guidance for living safely.  

Beyond the direct burden of allergic disease, there is growing evidence of its broader health impact. For example, uncontrolled asthma is a recognised risk factor for fatal anaphylaxis while up to 90% of individuals with eczema also present with another allergic condition.*  Additionally, people with hay fever are four times more likely to develop other allergy-driven conditions such as asthma and eczema. 

It is important to acknowledge that allergic conditions can develop at any stage of life – during infancy, childhood, adolescence, pregnancy or in later adulthood. This unpredictability underscores the need for vigilance and ongoing professional education to ensure timely recognition and optimal care across a person’s lifespan. 

Call to Action for Healthcare Professionals  

We are asking healthcare professionals to join our campaign and help patients with allergies in two key ways: 

  • Empower through knowledge and help ensure your patients have access to trusted practical information. Signpost them to Allergy UK’s resources which are condition-specific and can help patients manage their allergy with confidence and clarity.    
  • Give practical advice on how to manage allergic conditions beyond medications. For example, in the case of hay fever pollen, avoidance techniques such as wearing a face mask or wraparound sunglasses can help reduce exposure to pollen. 

Many people have shared their lived experience of allergy to help shape and inform our work. Among them is Stephen, who developed infantile eczema which resolved around the age of seven, only to return decades later with increased severity. Now in his 40s, Stephen is navigating multiple allergic conditions, including asthma, hay fever, atopic dermatitis and alopecia. 

“I’ve been hospitalised with eczema flare-ups,” he told us. “When I was flaring badly on my neck, face and around my eyes and mouth, it made me feel low about myself. Losing your entire body hair within weeks is very difficult to come to terms with. Intimate relationships can be very difficult when you’ve got severe eczema.” 

While Stephen is grateful for the practical support provided by nurses and other healthcare professionals, he urges greater recognition of the mental health impact of living with chronic allergic disease. “At medical appointments, I’ve been given a list of questions about how I’m feeling – I would like that to be the start of an ongoing conversation, not something that’s put to one side.” 

Stephen’s experience highlights the profound emotional and psychological burden that allergic conditions can impose – a burden that extends beyond physical symptoms and into daily life, relationships and wellbeing.   

Anecdotal feedback from our Allergy UK helpline echoes this, with individuals reporting that persistent allergic symptoms, whether from hay fever, eczema, asthma or food allergies, can interfere with sleep, affect concentration, disrupt education or employment and significantly reduce quality of life. 

For people living with food allergies, social activities can be difficult to navigate with a negative effect on mental health and wellbeing, leading to anxiety, depression as well as affecting feelings of confidence and self-worth.  

The I Wish I Knew… campaign seeks to shine a light on the broad spectrum of allergic conditions. By amplifying stories like Stephen’s, the campaign aims to deepen understanding of the lived experience of allergy, promote early recognition and encourage timely, holistic support, including the often-overlooked psychological aspect.    

The campaign is supported by a dedicated website that your patients may find valuable for evidence-based information and practical resources. We invite healthcare professionals to signpost to this resource and to continue engaging in meaningful conversations that acknowledge both the physical and emotional realities of allergic disease. 

The Allergy UK website remains a font of information for healthcare professionals and people living with allergy.

Working in partnership with healthcare professionals will help us improve the quality of care for individuals with allergies and enhance the knowledge and skills of healthcare providers in the field of allergy management.  

https://www.allergyuk.org/for-healthcare-professionals/

References

* The National Child Mortality Database (NCMD) thematic report on Child Deaths due to Asthma or Anaphylaxis 2019-2023