AAFA’s health education campaigns for Type 2 Inflammation Awareness Week and World EoE Day connect people to the resources, treatments, and community they need to manage life with allergic diseases<div style="float:right;padding:0 0 15px 20px;margin:15px 0 20px 20px;width:300px">
 1 out of 3 People in the U.S. has Allergies
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 <img src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/669fb676-9d77-4254-8369-c17ff00329e2" title="1 out of 3 People in the U.S. has Allergies" alt="More than 106 million people in the U.S. live with asthma and/or allergic diseases" />
 <figcaption>More than 106 million people in the U.S. live with asthma and/or allergic diseases</figcaption>
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 One Fire, Many Flames: Type 2 Inflammation
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 <img src="https://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/fd7649d7-a8bf-4eb0-96ad-f662bef9cf35" title="One Fire, Many Flames: Type 2 Inflammation" alt="Type 2 Inflammation Awareness Week - May 18-22" />
 <figcaption>Type 2 Inflammation Awareness Week - May 18-22</figcaption>
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</div>Washington, DC, May 18, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Over 106 million people in the United States live with asthma, allergies, eczema, chronic hives, nasal polyps, or eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) — and many live with more than one of these conditions. While the diseases may seem unrelated, they share a common source: an overactive immune response known as type 2 inflammation.   The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) is marking May 18-22, 2026, as <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=OVqXfzbe_S23RbDPp1Hnu7BS2igFo03umN40hIPBfoY0oW3UVvasCpqZkmxjLm-h7SWOqgPGbidE24_hjZyBMZRPyUHi7HTW8Ak1YXEEZm68r7VwAIVSmdy4KWkeG3gn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Type 2 Inflammation Awareness Week">Type 2 Inflammation Awareness Week</a> with the launch of "One Fire, Many Flames," a health education campaign that illuminates the role of inflammation in fueling allergic conditions. Inflammation acts like a fire burning inside the body. Depending on where the flames flare, it can show up as itchy skin, a wheezing chest, a runny nose, trouble swallowing, or a multi-system reaction to certain foods.  Understanding that these conditions share a single source of inflammation explains why so many people carry more than one diagnosis, and why these allergic conditions often run in families. It also shifts the understanding in how to treat these conditions – moving beyond treating each “flame” toward addressing the “fire” at its source.  "When people understand their asthma, eczema, food allergies, EoE, or other allergic conditions can share the same underlying cause, it gives them the confidence to advocate for better care," said Melanie Carver, chief mission officer at AAFA. "They finally have language for what they are experiencing and can talk with their health care team about management plans for their conditions. But they don’t have to do it alone - they have a community standing with them along the way.” Now in its third year, Type 2 Inflammation Awareness Week is a signature initiative of AAFA’s annual Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month in May. This year's Awareness Month theme, "The Power of Community," underscores what AAFA sees at the center of good health: people who feel connected — to information, to care, and to each other — are better equipped to manage their conditions.   A Community of Diseases, A Community of People For many people, living with one of these allergic conditions means living with several. People juggle multiple diagnoses, multiple specialists, and multiple care plans — often while supporting family members navigating the same. Surrounding each of them is a wider community of friends, loved ones, health care professionals, school staff, employers, and advocates who all play a role in their daily life. The fire burns in the body, but it is felt by everyone around it. Recognizing both communities, the one inside the body and the one around it, is at the heart of this year's awareness campaign. Food Shouldn't Hurt: World EoE Day This week also marks World EoE Day on May 22, honoring people living with eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE) – one of the conditions featured in the “One Fire, Many Flames” campaign. Driven by the same type 2 inflammation, EoE is chronic inflammation in the esophagus that can make eating painful, slow, or even dangerous. Many people face long delays before getting an accurate diagnosis. This year's theme for World EoE Day, "Food Shouldn't Hurt," captures that daily reality.  "EoE is a chronic inflammatory condition, and even when symptoms quiet down, inflammation in the esophagus can keep doing damage,” said Dr. David Stukus, an allergist and medical advisor to AAFA. “Over time, that damage can lead to scarring and narrowing that becomes harder to reverse. Working with a specialist to address the underlying condition is one of the most powerful things you can do for your long-term health." World EoE Day is coordinated by the EoE Day Alliance, a global coalition of patient advocacy organizations of which AAFA is a proud member.  Join the Community This May AAFA invites people, families, health care professionals, and community partners to take part in Type 2 Inflammation Awareness Week: <ul><li> Visit <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=orWNpSghE8cxJXlHz5nfQWp9U4NvEZgA5PTBbFpyWUJ9FSPb1q4YeYH2KVs_YqWQZFFmh6XY5I3oDuIe8SW-nQ==" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="aafa.org/t2i/week">aafa.org/t2i/week</a> to learn how inflammation connects asthma, allergies, eczema, EoE, and other conditions </li></ul> <ul><li> Share AAFA's content with your community using #AllergyAwareness, #Inflammation, and tag @AAFAnational and @KidsWithFoodAllergies </li></ul> <ul><li> For World EoE Day on May 22, join the global community by adding #EoEDay to your posts </li></ul> Understanding the fire is the first step to putting it out. To learn more about allergic conditions and the type 2 inflammation that connects them, visit <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=0TqhW4iIN8Qyt-SCfTHTnnKOCeqORNBHDsv_IYWH_f-pIH4NTHnv1H4hRH8YFhKqm-tGmypjOimqswl8bKtkroOS72z_jh6iox96MalBo_E=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="aafa.org/t2i/week">aafa.org/t2i/week</a>. Related Resources for Patients and Health Care Professionals <ul><li> <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=r-qcMFW8UetR4E6bPmQa8i1L0GAGLpUgZvhhCeow6BfmGnA_Ao8igrfhCjY8Irs_jcM66wFbQp3GWMns7czHTssuIxB8769TPVWxyHO475OB9yikEAzkpoH_9rNT_YvWdmL9mMDG0gZ5Ama0JpCmVPiCDprRPJdlDibvHkUxp_c=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Type 2 Inflammation Week information">Type 2 Inflammation Week information</a> </li></ul> <ul><li> <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=r-qcMFW8UetR4E6bPmQa8vjrdOrwEc6sfFrzNtpUlr1GHYAiIBw54KZbwgYFJIZTknTmxU9ltU65CZB-GNWxFGE1Dr1iAAYlJz-m94XZPu1Jo_1BzNb6iyKzCohtTSIHzfJ4wC85ibnD9XMI_EJn4GF6EWCi8BeCbaDOJD0PUK8=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Type 2 Inflammation Interactive Learning">Type 2 Inflammation Interactive Learning</a> </li></ul> <ul><li> <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=qP4W8lpSxBow3v13mnn4hFE89hW7STW3tg1Uk6fQ3REydJ0p7i7MX9JyNxOwYErSPwX9idxRMtBWQn8jKpVhsD-bKGreB0HsKupBzU_66ILfMoHhX1kuGqVJjKRHzrWmhgN1LtO_BjOIn1RgGfm-HD56JmVgaGJstuh0MhYXiYJrbp-FA27EeJkzMNz0lo8e4yl9emMtdiJsQR6NJrD605xMWQuq_2qOQR340Rs1Zkk=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Continuing Medical Education Programs on Allergic Conditions">Continuing Medical Education Programs on Allergic Conditions</a> </li></ul> <ul><li> <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=u8BlmE8HPIjAh4GIEPaCzLXIzcOJBfB2pA3hXH3PkAnWCLQI9xpsTJO45oxYmIrpwh_2a3_yVhvFOFEqHkxVVzTc9VmfE7ntvcsKHbJBq_A0Sq5kOAaS496vehDBGE6jnkpUnsOeI8qryBsiSSz-R-kS7iLbq04TjkW4x-hGJ3g=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Patient Online Support Community for Asthma and Allergic Conditions">Patient Online Support Community for Asthma and Allergic Conditions</a> </li></ul> <ul><li> <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=VulyzmWS98byTYeoKPNMUc-Z6lFC4LnWNOQ0TFXKLsiMbLBvnLXL9ELz9PPOiyCjlG9B3FEeLd6Guq-VdMo-LOB5Cnq9h7JaLD--8zefCfoHtLf8ehPngsxR6bWIc5jv" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="Treatment Decision Aids and Guides">Treatment Decision Aids and Guides</a> </li></ul> Acknowledgment and Disclosures This content is developed independently by the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA) and made possible by contributions from Sanofi and Regeneron. We thank them for their support of AAFA's 2026 Type 2 Inflammation Awareness Week and World EoE Day activities. Press Contact   Andy Spears  Senior Public Relations Manager  Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA)  media@aafa.org   ##  About AAFA  Founded in 1953, AAFA is the oldest and largest non-profit patient organization dedicated to saving lives and improving the quality of life for people affected by asthma and allergic diseases through support, advocacy, education, and research. AAFA offers extensive support for individuals and families affected by asthma and allergic diseases, such as food allergies and atopic dermatitis (eczema). Through its online patient support communities, network of regional chapters, and collaborations with community-based groups, AAFA empowers patients and their families by providing practical, evidence-based information and community programs and services. AAFA is the first asthma and allergy patient advocacy group that is certified to meet the standards of excellence set by the National Health Council. For more information, visit: <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=0TqhW4iIN8Qyt-SCfTHTnllk6GfjAD4e8jzXZUTR-9pzyc-fROjRmaJAi5OytYT-esjgVq-ewqTMjga8EFrU9A==" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="aafa.org">aafa.org</a> and <a href="https://www.globenewswire.com/Tracker?data=l-3B4K3uLgOKUvuwpt7_wq1F_p9yjBtc6k1gNtUknOJZlAlW9imzPm0y3OEp9Yc3c3kDT443AU7Q8D_9R-7WVZy_w51PTN8nCT1--3lI6xW9zo0oxl5K7V5xOoGnfx0R" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="kidswithfoodallergies.org">kidswithfoodallergies.org</a>.  
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<pre>CONTACT: Andy Spears
Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America
2029741223
media@aafa.org
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One Fire, Many Flames: The Immune Response Fueling Allergic and Inflammatory Diseases

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