Why Are There More and More Allergies in Children?

HK BioTek

Medical and public health scholars believe that there are several environmental factors that can explain the epidemiology of allergies.

1. Health hypothesis (environment is too clean)

Some scholars believe that the environment is too clean, leading to more cases of allergies. They advocate for the need to contact some bacteria in childhood to develop proper immunity. Some parents over-protect their children and heavily emphasize cleaning habits, so their children are rarely exposed to some common bacteria.

2. Air pollution

Air pollution may provoke more respiratory allergies. Carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide and other gas locomotive exhaust, will worsen tracheal inflammation. On the other hand, the living environment has become increasingly closed. Doors and windows are closed in high-rise buildings, with the use of air conditioning, resulting in poor air circulation that allow for allergens to grow. A survey found that if the home is well-ventilated, the amount of dust mites and other allergens can reduce by half.

3. Overuse of antibiotics

Children’s use of antibiotics or antipyretics before 1-year of age will increase the probability of asthma and other allergies. Abuse of antibiotics kill bacteria, affect the development of our immune system and kill the probiotics in our GI tract. When the good bacteria in the GI tract is inhibited, the function of the GI mucosa is reduced, and it cannot effectively prevent the digestion of food molecules into the bloodstream. These molecules can be detected by the immune army as "dangerous", thus stimulating food allergies and may make you more sensitive to other allergens.

4. Having a Westernized diet with too much processed foods

The Westernized diet has more oil and calories that stimulates the secretion of inflammation mediators prostaglandins and leukotrienes. The more of these substances in the body, the more serious the symptoms will be when having an allergic attack. Some scholars believe that modern people eat too much processed foods (such as candy, biscuits, etc.), where all the carbohydrates quickly convert into sugar in the human body. Too much sugar, like too much antibiotics, promotes the growth of intestinal yeast, interferes with the GI mucosa function, paving the way for allergic reactions.

Source:

http://www.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=5055801