Most allergy-prone places in the UK, revealed by new study

The research, conducted by thermal imaging experts Tester.co.uk, examined average monthly search volumes for a list of allergy-related key terms – including, but not limited to, ‘asthma attack’, ‘allergy testing near me’ and ‘antihistamine tablets’ – to determine the U.K. cities most likely to suffer from various allergies. The cities with the highest average monthly search volume per 100,000 people are highlighted. 

Bolton is the most allergy-prone city, with an average monthly search volume of 3,428 per 100,000 people. ‘Hives rash’ is the most popular term in the northwestern city, with 890 average monthly searches, followed by ‘antihistamine’ and ‘asthma’.  

Lincoln ranks third; ‘pollen count’ is the third most searched-for term, with 153 average monthly searches, alongside ‘antihistamine’ and ‘hives rash’. The East Midlands city has an average monthly search volume of 2,837 per 100,000 people.  

According to the study, Manchester is the fourth city most likely to suffer from allergies, with 2,709 average monthly searches per 100,000 people. The second most Googled term in the Northwestern city is ‘pollen’, with 1,103 average monthly searches, before ‘hives rash’ and after ‘antihistamine’. 

Next, with 2,583 average monthly searches, is Bath. Located in the West of England, the third most searched term is the antihistamine ‘cetirizine’, with 127 average monthly searches, after ‘antihistamine’ and ‘hives rash’. 

Table 1: The most allergy-prone U.K. cities 

Barry Atkins, CEO of Tester.co.uk, commented on the study:  

“Whether it’s pollen, pets or food, there are a whole host of allergies that plague people daily. This study has highlighted the U.K. cities most likely suffering from said allergies, with Bolton coming out on top. ‘Hives rash’ is the most common allergy symptom across the U.K. according to the study, while searches for treatment, including ‘Antihistamine’ and ‘Cetirizine’ closely follow.”