New Allergy, Asthma, and Eczema Treatment Program

New Allergy, Asthma, and Eczema Treatment Program Launched in Auckland

With allergy season upon us people’s awareness is again turning to the sneezes and snuffles of allergies and Hayfever, and the wheezing of asthma.

International studies place New Zealand 2nd after the UK for asthma incidence, 6th in the world for eczema, and 10th in the world for allergy, with one in six New Zealand adults, and one in four children experiencing asthma symptoms. Also 70 to 80 percent of asthma in New Zealand is associated with allergy.

For most people, asthma, allergies or eczema are chronic conditions, often lasting a lifetime, however the normal medical treatments only provide relatively short term relief of symptoms, and most carry significant long term health risks if not used appropriately. To quote Professor Shaun Holt of Victoria University at the 2010 Rural General Practitioners Conference “There is a major gap between what can be achieved with modern asthma management and what is currently being achieved”.

Research shows that more than half (54 per cent) of those with asthma in New Zealand are under-treated and do not have control of their asthma. Further asthma remains the most common cause of admission to hospital for children. A study of Kiwi parents of children with allergies published in Contemporary Nurse in April 2010 found a general lack of support from health care professionals, and that more multi-disciplinary support is required for these families.

“Many people with asthma think they have their condition under control when they don’t – they have just accepted the symptoms as part of life” - Linda Thompson: Asthma New Zealand.

In a response to the need for improved care for those with asthma, allergies and eczema a new specialist practice, Auckland Atopy Clinic in Ponsonby Auckland, has been established.

They aim to address the shortcomings in the standard medical treatment using a holistic, integrative care model bringing together the best in both conventional medicine and proven complimentary medical approaches to, in conjunction with the patients GP, better manage the patient’s condition, and more importantly the underlying immune imbalance at the core of most asthma, allergies and eczema.

Diet, lifestyle, and a genetic predisposition (family history) play major roles not just the frequency and severity of asthma, allergy or eczema symptoms, but in the management of the immune issues underlying the conditions.

Family history is an important risk factor for allergic rhinitis and asthma. Environmental exposures in pregnancy including diet, bacterial exposure, and maternal smoking, can modify a baby’s immune function. Poor diet has also been linked to asthma, with a study undertaken in Hastings in 2005 showing an association between asthma symptoms, and frequent takeaway consumption.

Meanwhile a healthy diet high in fruits, vegetables, and grains, or a 'Mediterranean diet', can provide some protection against wheezing and asthma in childhood, while high levels (5-6g a day) of DHA, one of the components of fish oil, can have a beneficial impact on the outcome of atopic eczema.

Says Craig Rhodes of Auckland Atopy Clinic - “As with any chronic health condition, while for most patients pharmaceuticals remain at the core of controlling their symptoms of asthma, allergies and eczema, there needs to be a more holistic approach to better managing these conditions in order to both enable optimal long term health outcomes and minimise the risks of long term medication.”

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