Allergies in Switzerland

Allergies in Switzerland are either environmental or food-borne, with the former being responsible for the greater portion of those who develop allergic reactions.

To guard against unexpected costs arising from medical conditions that may arise from otherwise ordinary allergic reactions, international health insurance is recommended.

Due to weather changes, the country deals with spring wind that is highly concentrated with a combination of different types of pollen, the most common of which are grass, ash, hazel, alder and mugwort. The Symptoms are the same, however - sneezing, runny and stuffy nose and watery, bloodshoot eyes and other reactions known together as hay fever.

On the other hand, certain foods account for a significant percentage of allergies in Switzerland, the most common of which are caused by peanuts. Children are particularly vulnerable to this type of allergy and it is extremely important for parents to always check food labels or ask waiters in restaurants if there is any dish on the menu that has peanuts. Reactions can be mild to fatal; hence, parents should never take them for granted. Switzerland is one of five countries, others being Australia, UK, France and USA, where a geographical prevalence of peanut allergies have been noted. In adults, seafood is the main cause of food-borne allergic reactions.

Aside from antihistamine tablets, other methods have been developed to treat allergies such as immunotherapy. It is good to consult with a travel medicine specialist so proper precautions may be taken. Considering high medical costs, private health insurance Switzerland is also recommended on top of obligatory national health insurance.