44 At a Glance Allergy Boom YOU'RE NOT IMAGINING IT-ENVIRONMENTAL AND FOOD ALLERGIES ARE ON THE RISE BY JEANNIE BLAKE >50 million people in the U.S. have an allergy Allergies are the 6th leading cause of chronic illness in the U.S. and cost more than $18 billion a year Globally, there's been an increase in the prevalence of allergic diseases in the industrialized world for more than 50 years An estimated 8% of children in the U.S. have food allergies-that's 1 in 13 children, or about 2 students per classroom FALL 2020 VIM & VIGOR More Facts on Food Allergies Do you know which age group of children is most at risk for anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction? Take a 10-question quiz to learn the answer-and more about allergies and testing-at aaaai.org, the website of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Search "food allergy quiz." Sources: American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology; American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention PHOTO CREDIT Nearly 8% of adults have hay feverhttp://www.aaaai.org