IS IMPROVED HYGIENE TO BLAME FOR INCREASED ALLERGIES?
That's one of the theories put forward by some health scientists, as they try to grapple with a noticeable increase of this condition particuallyin the West.
As ironic as it may sound, we need to address this tricky phenomenon. For those of us who grew up in a certain era where we were exposed to many parasitic infections, there were less incidences of this infection. We played in the dirt, ate foods without bothering much to wash our hands, some of us fell into pools of mess and were only made whole again with just soap and water- no special chemical administered to cleanse us.
"Our improved hygiene is to blame, as children are not getting as many infections," says one doctor. Parasitic infections, in particular, are normally fought by the same mechanisms involved in tackling allergies. With fewer parasites to fight, the immune system turns against things that should be harmless. Food allergy now affects about 7% of children in the UK and 9% of those in Australia.
An allergy is caused by the immune system fighting substances in the envirnment that it should see as harmles, known as allergens. Symptoms range from skin redness, hives, and swellingto- in the most-vomiting, diarrhea, difficultybreathing and anaphylactic shock.
Some of the most common foods children are allergic to are: milk; eggs; peanuts; tree nuts- walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, brazil nuts, pecans, fish, sesame and, shellfish.
This article does not provide the only possible reasons for an increase in allergies but has examined one of them.
Credit: BBC HEALTH
That's one of the theories put forward by some health scientists, as they try to grapple with a noticeable increase of this condition particuallyin the West.
As ironic as it may sound, we need to address this tricky phenomenon. For those of us who grew up in a certain era where we were exposed to many parasitic infections, there were less incidences of this infection. We played in the dirt, ate foods without bothering much to wash our hands, some of us fell into pools of mess and were only made whole again with just soap and water- no special chemical administered to cleanse us.
"Our improved hygiene is to blame, as children are not getting as many infections," says one doctor. Parasitic infections, in particular, are normally fought by the same mechanisms involved in tackling allergies. With fewer parasites to fight, the immune system turns against things that should be harmless. Food allergy now affects about 7% of children in the UK and 9% of those in Australia.
An allergy is caused by the immune system fighting substances in the envirnment that it should see as harmles, known as allergens. Symptoms range from skin redness, hives, and swellingto- in the most-vomiting, diarrhea, difficultybreathing and anaphylactic shock.
Some of the most common foods children are allergic to are: milk; eggs; peanuts; tree nuts- walnuts, almonds, pine nuts, brazil nuts, pecans, fish, sesame and, shellfish.
This article does not provide the only possible reasons for an increase in allergies but has examined one of them.
Credit: BBC HEALTH