National policy must be formulated soon, expert says

Shoda Shigeru has been plagued by allergies for about 40 years. The 54-year-old, who grew up in Japan's Gunma Prefecture, which is famous for its natural scenery, was diagnosed as allergic to the pollen of fir trees, rice and wheat in his early teens.

In addition to watery eyes and itchy skin and nose, the allergy also caused severe headaches, so for several decades Shoda took medication from May to June - the pollen season - to alleviate the condition.

That changed three years ago when he was posted to his company's office in Beijing. "All the symptoms disappeared and I haven't taken the pills since then," he said.

The problem started in the 1950s and 60s, when the Japanese government planted mill-ions of cedar trees as part of a national reforestation program.

Shoda said many people in Japan are allergic to cedar pollen. "But people were less aware of allergies in the 1970s. For example, at first my parents thought I sneezed constantly because I had a cold. Nowadays, though, thanks to greater awareness of allergies, parents get their children's blood allergen checked if any symptoms appear," he said.

A rice-based peptide vaccine that combats cedar and cypress pollen allergies is now available in most clinics in Japan, he added.

More than 40 million people in the United States have allergies, which are the sixth-biggest cause of chronic illnesses, and treatment costs more than $18 billion every year, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In addition to the public health sector, many nonprofit organizations in the US are making efforts to raise public awareness of allergies, and some also raise funds to accelerate world-class research, produce educational resources and establish priorities.

"In most developed countries, allergy education has been undertaken effectively, both for medical professionals and the general public. In some cases, it has helped people to avoid life-threatening conditions," said Chen Yifu, a general physician at the Beijing United Family Hospital.

"With the rise in the number of allergy cases in China, I think a nationwide allergy education campaign will have to be formulated soon to improve safety and quality of life for those living with this life-altering and potentially life-threatening condition."