D3.44 - Global Trends in Google Search Interest for Allergic Diseases, Diagnostics and Therapies Over Two Decades

Google search is to date one of the most popular means for information retrieval for the public worldwide, with numbersof searches growing exponentially. It is to date insufficiently tracked, how the worldwide population uses google search for allergological topics. Digital epidemiology tools such as Google Trends may provide valuable insights into population-level interest and unmet needs in allergology. 

We analyzed worldwide Google Trends data from January 2004 to January 2026, focusing on allergy-related topics and search terms. Relative search interest was assessed as a proportion of all Google search queries over time and compared across regions. Key terms included “allergy,” “hyposensitization,” “anaphylactic shock,” “allergic asthma,” “adrenaline autoinjector,” “prick test”, and “epicutaneous test.”

The topic “allergy” demonstrated a doubling of its relative share of all Google searches since 2004, indicating a sustained increase in public interest. The United States ranked highest globally for “allergy”-related searches. Searches related to hyposensitization also doubled over the observation period, with Germany showing the highest regional interest. Queries for “anaphylactic shock” increased eightfold worldwide, with Kazakhstan emerging as the leading country. Interest in “allergic asthma” remained stable relative to overall search volume, with Turkey ranking highest. Searches for “adrenaline autoinjector” doubled, led by Canada. After a previous increase, “prick test” searches declined to levels comparable to those observed a decade ago. In contrast, “epicutaneous test” share quadrupled overall, showing an exponential rise during the last two years, with the United Kingdom ranking highest.

The relevance of queries for allergic diseases, allergological diagnostics and therapies is steadily increasing relative to overall number of Google search queries when measured against the continuously expanding global search volume since 2004. Notably, the pronounced increase in searches for epicutaneous testing, may reflect current shortages of allergological test substances and limited diagnostic capacity, potentially driving patients to actively search for available services. These findings highlight the need for strengthened allergological infrastructure and improved access to diagnostics.