Allergies are going nowhere but up. One in five Americans now suffer from allergies, accounting for 17 million doctors appointments and 30,000 emergency room visits each year. And the numbers are on the rise, according to a large new study from the medical testing and information company Quest Diagnostics.Plumbing the largest data set of its kind — including more than 2 million patient visits for allergies over four years — Quest analyzed the results of blood tests to 11 common allergens: five foods (egg whites, milk, peanuts, soybeans and wheat), common ragweed, mold, two species of house dust mites, cat epithelia (skin), and dog dander.
