In addition, the percentage of patients actually using alternative therapies, although small, appears to be growing rapidly, according to a report at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology.

"To my knowledge, nobody has done an epidemiologic study looking at complementary and alternative medicine trends among allergy and asthma patients in the US," Dr. William S. Silvers, from Allergy Asthma Colorado in Englewood, told Reuters Health. "In Europe, it has been done, but not in the States."

The findings are based on surveys conducted in Silvers' practice in 1998 and 2004. A total of 113 patients who completed questionnaires in 1998 and another 103 who filled out questionnaires in 2004 were included in the analysis.

At both time points, the percentage of respondents interested in discussing complementary and alternative therapies held steady at around 67 percent. Likewise, the percentage of patients who discussed CAM with a primary care physician was identical in each survey -- 18 percent.

A slight increase from 16 percent to 19 percent was noted in the proportion of subjects who visited an alternative medicine practitioner for a general medical need. A more pronounced rise was seen in the percentage who sought such a provider for allergy or asthma, 4 percent to 10 percent -- a finding Silvers called "striking."

The favored alternative therapy also changed between the two survey points. In 1998, the most popular was vitamin/mineral therapy, whereas in 2004 acupuncture won that distinction.

Rather than advising his patients against complementary or alternative medicine, Silvers opts for an integrative approach. He explained that this involves allowing the patient to try various alternative options, "but then following and scrutinizing their outcomes within a conventional medical framework."

He concluded, "The most important thing is to track with the patient what their goals are and whether they are being met in a cost-effective fashion."