Why are allergies on the rise in Switzerland?

Allergies have increased dramatically in Switzerland over the past hundred years for various reasons. Soon, even people living high up in the Swiss Alps will no longer be safe from hay fever. In 1900, less than 1% of the Swiss population suffered from allergies. Today a quarter to a third of the population do. On Thursday, as part of National Allergy Day 2019, the Allergy Centre Switzerland will be distributing information booklets. Why have allergies increased so dramatically in Switzerland? Bettina Ravazzolo, expert at aha! Swiss Allergy Centre, says the reasons are to be found in the Western lifestyle. “Our versatile and exotic menus bring us into contact with more potential trigger points. And our hygiene standards have become so high that our immune systems are confronted with real pathogens less frequently. This means our immune systems react more readily to defend against harmless substances.” On top of this, there is environmental pollution. “Air pollutants also have ...