The Most Common Allergies in the UK

Last Updated: 18th January 2023 · Written by Kate Young

When compared with the rest of the world, the UK has some of the highest allergy rates you’ll find. This is perhaps unsurprising, given our far-stretching beautiful countryside is home to a wealth of fauna and flora, and less than 1% of the UK has been built on.

Which allergies, though, are the most common of all? And who do they affect?

Check out our graphic on allergies, or read on for more information.

Common UK Allergies Infographic

Identifying and detecting allergies in the UK

It’s important that we collectively get better at diagnosing and identifying allergies in the UK, as the number of patients admitted to hospital following an allergic reaction doubled between 2013 and 2020, reaching over 27,000 per year.

To increase the complexity of this equation further, more and more people are confusing allergy symptoms with COVID-19 symptoms; given there’s a lot of overlap when it comes to runny noses and sore throats. Read our insights on how to tell the difference between the two.

Allergies in children

Another interesting trend our research uncovered is that children with allergies are 80% likely to have two parents who are also allergic in some capacity.

So, if you’re noticing that your child may find allergens problematic, it may be worth you conducting an at-home allergy test to get a quick indicator of whether you, like many others, are also afflicted.

Hay fever

Our survey wouldn’t be complete without looking into the impacts of hayfever, one of the most common allergies in the UK. Most notably, we found that almost two thirds of adult hayfever sufferers felt their sleep was negatively impacted by their allergy with stuffy noses impacting breathing during the night.

This increased to 90% in children, and so antihistamines may be a prerequisite to a good night’s sleep for many.

Managing common allergies

One final insight we’d like to draw attention to is that almost a third of allergy sufferers reported that they have had to adjust their lifestyles to reduce their allergic reactions. This is a smart move, and the practical, actionable steps we’d advise taking include:

1. Properly diagnosing the allergy. You can do this by taking allergy and intolerance tests, and consulting with a GP for professional advice.
2. Adjusting your lifestyle or diet to minimise the chance of an allergic reaction.
3. If an allergy is inevitable, such as a seasonal allergy or hay fever, make sure you’re equipped to fight it as best you can.

We hope you have enjoyed reading our insights and that you’re on your way to comfortably managing your allergy. For more advice, check out our blog which is bursting with handy insights around everything from alcohol sensitivity to elimination diets.