The Urgo Foundation is a partner of the 2012 Allergy Information Day organised by the French Asthma & Allergies Association.
Are you one of the 20 million people in France affected by respiratory allergies and allergic rhinitis? A runny nose, itchiness, watery eyes and sneezing are tell-tale symptoms, yet they are often poorly diagnosed. Ignored or left untreated, an allergy can ultimately lead to pulmonary asthma: the Asthma and Allergies Association is thus organising an information day on 20 March to raise public awareness of the risks of allergies from the air we breathe indoors.
Because for once, the danger doesn’t always come from outside – it’s inside too! People spend between 70% and 90% of their time in enclosed spaces (at home, in offices, on public transport, etc.) where the air is five to 10 times more polluted than the outside air we breathe, according to the French Indoor Air Quality Observatory. Irrespective of what they are, confined spaces harbour a raft of allergens: dust mites, dust, mould and animal hairs can all be a source of respiratory allergy.
How should we deal with these risks that are part and parcel of our daily lives? How can we recognise, treat and manage these allergies? The Association can tackle the spread of these allergy risks by providing the public with answers to these questions and other information. Therefore, to coincide with the information day on 20 March, the www.allergiesairinterieur.org website will be launched, offering a mine of information on the issue, practical advice to reduce exposure and online chat between internet users and health professionals. And in fact, the information “day” initiative will be extended right until the end of April, with an online Question/Answer module available on Asthma & Allergies’ Facebook and Twitter.
Now is the time to act: with your help, allergies will not get the upper hand!