Allergy and Allergic Diseases

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Abstract
Allergic rhinitis, asthma, and atopic eczema are among the commonest causes of chronic ill health. These diseases are increasing in prevalence, and they add considerably to the burden of health care costs. In Sweden, for example, the number of children with allergic rhinitis, asthma, or eczema roughly doubled over a 12-year period,1 and in the United States the annual cost of treating asthma is about $6 billion.2 The term “allergy” was introduced in 1906 by von Pirquet, who recognized that in both protective immunity and hypersensitivity reactions, antigens had induced changes in reactivity.3 With the passage of time the word . . .