A recent survey has found that Americans spent more than $11 billion on treating allergies in 2005 - a cost that has nearly doubled since 2000.
The survey, conducted by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, found that in 2005, approximately 22 million Americans experienced related symptoms, sought a physician and used a prescription drug to treat allergic rhinitis.
Allergic rhinitis is defined as "a collection of symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, watery eyes, itching in eyes and nose, headache and wheezing in people allergic to airborne particles of dust, dander or plant pollens. When these symptoms are caused by pollen, the allergic rhinitis is commonly called hay fever."
The survey reveals that from 2000-2005 the cost per person for allergy treatment for those under 18 years of age increased from $253 to $434; for those between the ages of 18 and 64, the cost increased from $381 to $566.
The survey found that, on average in 2000, $350 was spent per person on allergy-treatment and $207 was spent on prescription medications. In contrast, the average cost per person jumped to $520 in 2005, while $305 was spent on prescription drugs.
The survey found that in 2000 and 2005 more than half of the total costs of allergy treatments were spent on prescription medications and more than one-third was spent on ambulatory visits.
In 2000, $2.3 billion was spent on ambulatory visits associated with allergies; this increased to $4 billion in 2005, representing a 73 percent increase from 2000 to 2005, the survey reported.
In reporting costs the survey used the value of the dollar in 2005 for calculating costs in 2000.
In calculating the total costs for allergy treatments, the survey excluded over-the-counter medications. The survey noted that "many popular prescription medications such as Zyrtec and Claritin used for treatment of allergic rhinitis are currently sold as 'over-the-counter' were sold as prescription drugs only in years 2000 and 2005, thus are included in the expenditures."
What can we do to curb healthcare costs that result from common allergies? E-mail Associate Editor Molly Merrill at molly.merrill@medtechpublishing.com.