The number of those with allergies is 2 to 5 times higher than 30 years ago
Article Source: msnbc.com
from:msnbc.comAllergies are mysteriously on the rise in U.S.
Seeded on Fri Mar 26, 2010 10:13 PM EDT (msnbc.com)
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When you look at the dioxins and heavy metals in diesel fumes you cannot be surprised by the increase in allergies. It is simply not a credible assumption, that diesel fumes do not harm the immune system.
Are population has increased as well + more pollution as stated.
This may have to be verified with more scientific methods, but most of processed/packaged food have artificial flavors that are engineered by flavorists (there are only around 10 or so in the world who can design flavors through chemical engineering) using trace amounts of chemicals which would be harmful for a living organism in larger amounts. Even the usage of frying pans adds trace amounts of chemicals that is harmful for living organisms as well. There needs to be some reformation in packaged food industry else they're going to end up like tobacco companies but in much much worse condition. It's surprising that many are aware of benefits of natural foods and simply too trusting of packaged food companies.
Dogs lead fairly "dirty" lives compared to people yet it is my clinical impression as a veterinarian that the incidence of allergy in dogs is greater to today than it was 30 years ago. I wonder what the statistics look like for the incidence of canine allery over the past decade? If also increasing, then the hygiene hypothesis would seem less likely.
Excellent point. Not many would know this info, unless of course you were a vet.
Environmental toxins perhaps. Gotta love all of the lawn fertilizers & pesticides that are used.
I believe it is a combination of many of the things mentioned in that article - I was raised in a rural area and my father had a kennel - I was always filthy. I'm also genetically predisposed to allergies, yet mine are far milder than those of my cousins (also genetically predisposed) who grew up in immaculate conditions. Alan, I'm not sure about this, but I would venture to guess that the dogs you deal with probably live in far cleaner conditions than 30 some years ago. Fewer people have outdoor dogs now, and more house pets undergo regular grooming and whatnot. Plus, in terms of purebreds, I can't help but wonder if breeding practices may come into play on that. And I think 30-some years ago, I don't think most pet owners were even aware that animals could actually have allergies, and the same probably goes for some of the old-school vets.
But I also believe global warming and pollution must play a role - the environment is changing more rapidly than before. Our bodies are finely tuned machines - changes in the environment are going to cause reactions.
But you raise an interesting point, Alan, and my best friend is a vet, so I'll definitely have to discuss it with her:)
But I have to
So one kid in a class is allergic to peanuts and then the whole school goes peanut free. And they are wondering why, then, more kids are developing peanut allergies? Let the kids have their damn peanuts. If one kid or two have allergies, fine, but don't punish the whole school. By depriving the whole school of any contact with any peanut substances, you are just incrasing the odds that more kids in that school will develop a peanut allergy. Once again, our country just overreacts to something and it makes it worse.
Not all food allergies are the same. Peanuts are one of a list of foods that can cause anaphylactic shock in a person with that allergy. If the allergy is serious enough that particles of peanut in the air, or on the skin can trigger a reaction, the only way to avoid the problem is to make the whole room peanut free. Period
Actually another way to avoid the problem is to put the onus on the one with the allergy, not on everyone else who might contact them, even indirectly. Perhaps it would be better for the sufferer to not assume a safe haven anywhere and to make prophylaxis habitual.
Peanut allergies in children are usually very severe. That means they can die! Quickly! If I had a child with a severe peanut allergy, I would feel so much better if there were a peanut free policy at their school. I think you are selfish. But then, I expect there to people out there who are. We are the "me generation"...*eye roll* I don't think there's anything wrong with having peanut free schools. Non-allergic kids can eat all the peanuts they want when they aren't at school.
genetically modified foods; pollen.
Agreed, blame Monsanto for genetically altering food. Germany has outlawed their genetically modified products because it is proven to be very harmful.
My vote is for chemicals of all kinds that our bodies have to deal with, that we just weren't made to handle. Once the immune system goes on the warpath, anything is fair game. Fortunately most folks don't have outright anaphylactic reactions to traces of chemicals, but there are many deaths annually from "mysterious reactions" in and out of the hospital. For instance, sulfites can be so deadly that they are restricted in the food supply-but they are a common ingredient, listed or not, in medical preparations. We have poisoned our world in the past 100 years, and how it will ever be untangled I couldn't guess. And to those who are opposed to peanut restrictions in schools, you wouldn't feel that way if it were your child who was put in danger. One bite from a peanut-contaminated cookie that another student offers as a gesture of friendship can kill a child who is allergic. It happens more frequently than you would like to know.
I have had allergies for 27 years. I'm allergic to everything that grows, and I live in western wa lol. This year has been the worst year yet. I feel like bombs are going off inside my sinus', just unimaginably painful.. I'm on flonase, antihistamines, and sudafed all at once, per doc's orders. Allergies suck!
I know I live outside Seattle and my allergies are horrible this year. We are paying the price for having a mild winter.
Tina, I'm convinced I wasn't supposed to be on this planet. Allergic to every tree, bush, blade of grass, and then some. Most of all of this started when I hit puberty.
Try a netti pot. I've been using one to cure my sinus infections. It is awsome!!!!!!!!!
I agree with ang b, but's more it's more than just the genetic modifications. We put artificial flavoring and artificial coloring in our foods to make it taste and look better than it is. We blast our food with radiation to make it stay fresh longer. And then we wonder why allergies and other diseases are on the increase. Face it, we live a life of denial based mainly on our wallet. We have a choice when we're at the grocery store ... you can by cheap or you can by healthy.
But why does buying healthier cost more? Organic foods don't use all the extra additives, pesticides, and so on (less additives = less cost to produce the product). So why then does it cost more? Me thinks it's a marketing scheme.
It costs more because fewer people buy it. As more people have been buying organic food, the prices have come down.
No, it costs more because the additives are added in the first place for only one reason: to increase profit. Pesticides and gene engineering yield a larger crop, artificial flavors are mass produced at a fraction of the cost of their natural counterparts and artificial colors are brighter and more appealing and make marketing the product on the shelf easier.
They wouldn't bother pouring millions into researching these chemicals that enhance flavor and yield if implementing them cost more. Have you ever tried growing organically? It's healthier but it simply isn't as efficient and cost effective.
Food is to blame.... hormones, antibiotics and other chemicals in our daily food, look no further.
Food production and distribution is my profession... so I know what I am talking about.
You would think these big wig very highly paid idiots would have added that to the list of possible suspects. Little over a year ago I completely stopped eating meat (moral reasons played a part as well) mainly because all of a sudden over a period of less than a month I started having a lot of stomach and other problems. After some trial and error with my diet I figured out it was meat that was the problem. I never figured out what exactly it was that they started putting in it that caused it, but you can't tell me there wasn't something there.
Jamie Oliver (who is a professional chef and health fanatic) has a new show out called "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution". His biggest thing is trying to educate people how bad processed food is. At this rate he'll be educating people about how bad any food you don't grow is.
Then do something about it.
I think it has a lot to do with our lifestyles. People are going outside far less and spending more time indoors shielded from their environment. It's only natural that we would develop less resistance to it.
Just look up. The entire world has been plastered with chemtrails for 2 decades now. Along with carcinogenic jet fuel, aluminum, barium salts are other elements that have been detected. Yes, many in my area are suffering badly with sinus infections (probably mycobacterium) this year. Our skies here are daily criss crossed 24/7 by chemtrail puffers.
Exactly... Airplanes leaving long lines of contrails across the sky that will spread out leaving wispy like clouds. Regular airplane's contrails will disappear. Look up everyday, several times a day. No one needs to convince you. Just look up and you will see for yourself. If your lucky, you might see a day or two of nothing but blue skies. Just look up and observe.
Simon is right -- it's food. Watch Food, Inc. Read the labels on your food. Try eating non-processed food for one week and voila -- allergies are gone.
Stress from the current uncertainties is certainly a contributor.
No doubt you are right, Betsy.
But I wonder about this: for the past couple of generations, babies have been exposed to the public before their immune systems are developed. New mothers used to be instructed to not allow any visitors except close family until the baby was at least one month old. Now you see newborns being dragged around at Wal-Mart. Their immune systems are overwhelmed and they have constant problems that used to be rare -- including asthma, allergies, and ear infections.
That is not true for every culture. Where I am from babies, even newborns, where never kept isolated. My great grandmother and my grand mother took their newborns outside for daily walks and to visit with relatives a couple days after they were born, and none of their children were delivered in hospitals. When I moved to this country I thought the whole sequestering of newborns and putting blankets over them to completely cover them up when they are taken outside was very strange.
Hmmm..... did they have chemtrails back then?
i'm 39 yrs. old and i don't remember growing up with giant lines, criss crossing the sky and gett'n wider as they got lower. i see plenty of planes with normal jet lines and many many others much longer lines (horizon to horizon)
GMO is the reason. Allergy resistance is the result of thousands of years of natural selection. GMO foods for both us and our pets have upset our resistance. The food industry would say otherwise but don't believe it when billions of dollars are involved.
I think its a combination of all of these factors. I also believe that the decrease in the number of mothers nursing their newborn infants may have played a role in these children lacking the natural antibodies that formulas cannot provide.
I was half way through the article before Global Warming came up. With all the snow and record cold this season it's good to see the boys aren't asleep at the switch.
wlockridge, please do a little research about global warming. Your remark about record cold makes it obvious that you don't know anything about it.
I knew as soon as I saw the headline this would end up having some crap that "global warming" would be one of the culprits. Just when you think the dumb can't get any dumber.
global warming... really?
This is worthless. Lots of hypothesis, no research and no conclusion. Should be in the tabloids.
Global warming? Nah.
But I bet my ex-wife has something to do with it.
LoL! Let's toss in the Pope.
Anyone who believes that allergies are more prevalent because we are "too clean" doesn't even have the most basic understanding of evolution.
Allergies.... let me tell you........ fabric stores and craft stores smell... from the dyes in the fabric and from the candles they now carry. I cant walk in without gagging and if it is too strong I walk out.
Why do municipalities plant Goldenrod near the major highways??? That causes allergies. Do they get kickbacks from pharmaceutical companies??? Does not make sense. There are enough of other pretty flowers to plant.
Many boutiques now have open fragrances in their stores and that also makes me gag. They think it makes the store smell nice, and do not consider other people.
When you walk down the laundry detergent aisle in a store, that smells also. The Walmart here has bread next to the detergent aisle. Now that makes a lot of sense.
Some women put tons of perfume on and often you get stuck in an elevator right after someone just put some on.
PEOPLE THINK.....
No mystery, it's a pharmaceutical conspiracy.
Might be people are eating more sugars including the rotten chemical substitutes instead of that greatest food - HONEY.
My wife was allergic to ragweed - no more - after eating LOCAL honeycomb from a bee keeper chock full of pollen.
My parents both had allergies: my mom-nose and lungs; my dad-sinuses. I got all of them. My blood type is O. I am a Hunter GenoTye, which is prone to a reactive immune system. Mine is ballistic. I am allergic to most foods. I was born with an allergy to wheat and cow's milk, the two most common food allergies in the world. I have Celiac Disease, which means my body reacts to the lectins in wheat, rye, barley, spelt, chocolate, dried beans and chili peppers. The damage to my intestinal tract means I am allergic to goat, sheep and water buffalo milk; sodium and food coloring. Anything that touches my skin for too long will cause an allergy. 6 mercury amalgam fillings in my head going back to 12 years of age mean I am allergic to metals. Using tar-based shampoo to control my dandruff means I am allergic to petroleum products: nylon, polyester, plastic, gasoline and propane. I am so allergic to mold I can walk into a room and know it's sending out spores. I can smell antifreeze and oil leaks faster than the mechanics. Perfume and artificial scents bother me. Anything burning can send me into an asthma attack.
When I eat something I am allergic to my nose starts running. A delayed reaction is mucous in my lungs. If I eat something that my body doesn't like, my mouth fills up with mucous. Just yesterday I had some Skittles and put gluten free salad dressing on my salad and both times I had a thick wad of mucous to swallow without gagging.
Sugar: completely without nutrients. It leaches nutrients out of your body. Diabetes and mental problems have increased exponentially with the increase of sugar consumtion in our diet. In the 1970s the food industry came to Graham Kerr, the Galloping Gourmet, and asked him to make something that would addict people to fast food. His find? Mixing sugar, salt and fat together. The fat provides the mouth-feel, the salt the taste enhanement and the sugar the sweetness.
I also have Systemic and Discoid Lupus. The upshot of that is I have to avoid stress (like that's going to happen!) and stay out of the sun between 10-4, or deal with the fevers, joint pain, fatigue, rashes and brainfog that go with auto-immune diseases.
What is your immune system doing?