Scientists, meeting in Vienna from May 16 to 20 for the annual congress of the EuropeanAcademy for Dermatology and Venereology, said global warming has not only added to the number of allergies but also resulted in an increasing number of foreign plants moving into Europe, causing still more new allergies.

Often hay fever, asthma or allergic eczemas were interconnected with skin diseases, allergy specialist Johannes Ring of Munich Technical University said. “Most allergies start with skin problems, even food allergies.”

In severe cases – for example heavy asthma attacks or allergic reactions to insect bites – an allergy could be fatal. Generally speaking children were more affected, but the number of adults suffering from allergies was on the rise as well.

Every third child suffers from at least one allergy, 30 to 50 per cent will additionally develop asthma in the future.