Too Clean For Our Own Good?

Industrialized countries have noted a sharp increase in the occurrence of allergic dieases over the past many decades, including atopic dermatitis, allergies and asthma. Food allergies also appear to be following that same pattern, with the prevalence of peanut allergy doubling in young children over a 5-year time period.

This increase in allergic diseases is potentially explained by the "hygiene hypothesis". This hypothesis suggests that since we live in a cleaner environment, our immune systems do not need to fight as many infections as in the past. We don't grow up on farms around animals, we don't play in the dirt, we receive vaccines to protect against infections, and we receive antibiotics when we do have infections. As a result, the immune system is less stimulated from an infection-fighting mode, and switches to the opposite mode: Allergy.

If you, your child or someone you know has food allergies, be prepared by knowing what to avoid and how to treat immediate reactions.