Teens at risk from allergies

The Allergy, Asthma and Immunology Society of Thailand (AAIAT) has launched an anti-allergy campaign to raise public awareness of the health risks allergies can pose.

Dr Kiat Ruxrungtham, president of the AAIAT, said the one-week campaign will urge people across the country to pay attention to potential symptoms of allergies so patients can seek proper medical care.

Dr Kiat said he is most concerned about nasal allergies, which affect around 10 million Thais, with teens making up 30% of that group.

''Teenagers are more likely to have nasal allergies due to their unhealthy lifestyle,'' he said at the AAIAT campaign launch yesterday.

Irregular sleep patterns due to internet addiction, inadequate exercise and high smoking rates are some of the factors contributing to the high rates of nasal allergies among teenagers, he added.

Dr Kiat said teens are also at higher risk of developing skin allergies due to the widespread use of cosmetics and beauty treatments.

The annual cost for treating nasal allergies is around 50 billion baht, about 5,000 baht per person, Dr Kiat said.

The treatment of allergic conditions is covered by the government's universal healthcare scheme.

The government's health coverage plan mainly focuses on medication to alleviate the symptoms of asthma and allergies, Dr Kiat noted.

Few preventive drugs are prescribed to patients under the plan because the cost is around three times more.

It is estimated that two out of three nasal allergy patients have chronic symptoms, partly because they run out of money to treat the condition.