Allergy Awareness Week

Allergy Week is celebrated around the world on various dates but we have chosen the 15th – 21st May 2016.

Allergies are on the rise and no one knows the reasons why. Some say the “Hygiene Hypothosis is a factor in the increase of Food Allergies and others are saying that Climate change is a big contributing factor to the increase of airborne allergies.

The increase in Allergies is very real and so is Climate change. We read a very interesting article on the effects of Climate change and Allergies at http://fightthecauseofallergy.org/page/climate-change-and-allergy.

“As global temperature and CO2 levels rise, plant pollination cycles have become longer and more intense, with record pollen counts becoming routine. This was seen in the U.S. where record temperatures went hand-in-hand with record pollen counts, and with that, record allergy suffering.”

Food allergies are too often misunderstood by the public and used as punchlines in jokes. But food allergies are no laughing matter. There are a few theories as to why there is such a drastic increase in Food allergies but none of them have been proven as yet. What is a proven fact is that Allergies in general are being diagnosed far quicker and more accurately than they were years ago. So before you would have been treated symptomatically for something like Asthma, now more often than not, your Asthma trigger/s can be pin-pointed which helps you to manage your Asthma better with avoidance of those triggers and of course medication.

A food allergy occurs when the body’s immune system sees a certain food as harmful and reacts by causing one or more reactions. Mild and severe symptoms can lead to a serious allergic reaction called anaphylaxis (anna-fih-LACK-sis). The treatment for anaphylaxis is an injection of epinephrine. The best way to avoid an allergic reaction is to stay away from foods that have caused a reaction previously.

For some, eating the wrong thing can bring on extremely severe reactions requiring immediate medical attention and the change in season can cause very adverse effects for Asthma sufferers.

Then there are the “Theories”. Hygiene Hypothosis is one of them which suggests that the immune system needs to come into contact with a variety of micro-organisms and bacteria while it is developing at the infant stage, so that it can respond to correctly to external input later in life. We now live in an environment where we use sanitisers and cleaning products that contain anti-microbial agents, and food preparation is more hygienic than ever. As technology has become more prevalent in our times, our exposure to good old fashioned nature has decreased as kids are no longer forced to play outside. There are too many other options. Naturally this means they are not playing in our natural environment of good old fashioned sand, trees, grass etc, where there are a  range of microbial agents and plant derived agents. Inadequate exposure to environmental micro-organisms may therefore result in the immune system of atopic children developing a tendency towards allergy.

Another suggested cause is the health of our gut. Our gut contains a matrix of bacteria and microbes that aid digestion and in general, the well being of our entire system. Researchers have found a microbe that stops food allergies in mice which will hopefully one day translate into a treatment for humans.

“Food allergies have increased about 50% in children since 1997. There are various theories explaining why. One is that the 21st century lifestyle, which includes a diet very different from our ancestors’, lots of antibiotic use, and even a rise in cesarean section deliveries, has profoundly changed the makeup of microbes in the gut of many people in developed countries. For example, the average child in the United States has taken three courses of antibiotics by the time he or she is 2 years old, says Martin Blaser, an infectious disease specialist and microbiologist at New York University in New York City”

To read more click here http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2014/08/gut-microbe-stops-food-allergies

We at Allergykids are firm believers that AWARENESS is key. We are about creating Freedom for those that suffer with Allergies to enjoy the “normal” pleasures in life for example playdates, school camps, class outings, dinners at Restaurants.

By generating enough Awareness, we will slowly but surely create a movement where non-allergy sufferers will understand how tough it is for Allergy sufferers, especially the little ones who don’t quite yet understand why they can’t have that cupcake, or play with that cat, or drink that chocolate milkshake.

The more information we get out there, the easier it will be for us and our Children to live Freely and SAFELY.

So help us spread the word, like our facebook page at www.facebook.com/Allergykids.co.za and connect with us.

We love hearing from you.

Yours in Awareness

Bonnie xxx

Sources : https://www.allergyuk.org/why-is-allergy-increasing/why-is-allergy-increasing