[Rapidly increasing allergic diseases].

It is well known that allergic diseases, such as allergic rhinitis, asthma, atopic dermatitis, and food allergy, are increasing in prevalence. Epidemiological studies show that the prevalence of allergic diseases is approximately 40% in children and 30% in adult. Thus allergic diseases are global health problem in Japan. Changes in environment or lifestyle may be one of the causes of the increase in allergic diseases. Therefore it may be a great concern for many people how they prevent the diseases or how they manage allergic symptoms. The major purpose of this citizen joint symposium was to broaden citizen's knowledge on the mechanism, epidemiology, and appropriate management of allergic diseases. We hope that this symposium provided useful information to the participants about the current trends in the management of allergic diseases.