Allergy-related illnesses such as hayfever, bronchial asthma and atopic eczema have drastically increased within the last decade.

Whereas at the end of the 30's only about one percent of persons living in Switzerland had hayfever, today up to 20 percent of Swiss people suffer from pollen-related allergy symptoms during the Summer months. 

Moreover, virtually every 10th child and every 14th adult is affected by bronchial asthma. For this reason, asthma among children is the most frequent form of chronic illness for this age group (Sennhauser, F.H., 2002).

Every tenth child in addition exhibits symptoms of an atopic dermatitis. Not every cause for the development of an allergic illness is known.  However, changes in consumer and eating habits, home climate, additives in products, air pollutants and stress appear to be catalysts.