...For more than a decade, peanut allergies in children have tripled in the United States. These dangerous allergies are causing harmful anaphylactic reactions that can lead to death. In 2008 a research team discovered that 1.4% of children had a peanut allergy, more than three times the 0.4% rate back in 1997. (Hendrick, 2010) This is an alarming rise that should not be ignored. The question is, why is this happening? I believe that the recent spike in peanut allergies is partly due to the excessive cleanliness during a child’s developmental years in our society. This phenomenon is known as the Hygiene Hypothesis, which was first introduced by Dr. Erika Von Mutius. During the 1990’s she compared the rates of allergies and asthma in East and West Germany. Before these two places were unified, East Germany was poorer and less hygienic than their neighbors to the West. Dr. Von Mutius hypothesized that the children growing up in East Germany would suffer from more allergies than the children in West Germany. To her surprise she found that it was actually the opposite! As a result from her studies, the Hygiene Hypothesis was born. (PBS, 2001). The Hygiene Hypothesis states that due to our relatively clean lifestyle, our bodies do not need to fight as many germs and bacteria as we did in the past. This results in a shift from fighting infections, to developing allergic reactions. (McMorris, 2007) With the development of antibiotics and the increased emphasis on using products such as...
Words: 1061 - Pages: 5
...blood pressure to important areas, such as the heart and lungs. Common allergens that can cause anaphylaxis include: Medicines. Foods, especially peanuts, wheat, shellfish, milk, and eggs. Insect bites or stings. Blood or parts of blood, including plasma, immunoglobulins, or serum. Chemicals, such as dyes, latex, and contrast material that is used for medical tests. What increases the risk? This condition is more likely to occur in children who have: Allergies. Had anaphylaxis before. A family history of anaphylaxis. Certain medical conditions, including asthma and eczema. What are the signs or symptoms? Symptoms of anaphylaxis include: Nasal congestion. Headache. Flushed face. Tingling in the mouth. An itchy, red rash. Swelling of the eyes, lips, face, or tongue. Swelling of the back of the mouth and the throat. Wheezing. A hoarse voice. Itchy, red, swollen areas of skin (hives). Dizziness or light-headedness. Fainting. Anxiety or confusion. Abdominal or chest pain. Difficulty breathing, speaking, or swallowing. Chest or throat tightness. Fast or irregular heartbeats (palpitations). Vomiting. Diarrhea. How is this diagnosed? This condition is diagnosed based on a physical exam and your child’s history of recent exposure to allergens. Your child may be referred for follow-up testing by a health care provider who specializes in allergies. This testing can confirm the diagnosis and determine which substances your child is allergic to. Testing may include: Skin tests. These may involve:...
Words: 1003 - Pages: 5
...This is called elimination diet. Then, you should see if your symptoms improve. Although it may seem a long process since you must eliminate each food separately, the fact is that most people almost always eat the same food. Start with the basic foods you usually eat. In fact, there are common foods that cause more eczema than others, such as, for example, cow's milk, eggs, soybeans, wheat, peanuts, cheese, fish, chocolate, artificial food colors and tomatoes. If you do not get satisfactory results with the elimination diet, GLA supplement. Some studies suggest that eczema may be caused by the lack of the enzyme that creates the omega 6 fatty acid called GLA that has been shown to be very beneficial in the treatment of eczema. When the enzyme is not present, that means there is a lack of GLA and, therefore, eczema is aggravated. In this case, the solution could be to take a GLA supplement. It is recommended to use the GLA supplement for at least 4 weeks to improve...
Words: 734 - Pages: 3
...Atopic Eczema/Atopic Dermatitis Eczema generally manifest themselves already in childhood, is a hereditary disease. Eczema is the most common skin disease in children. It can appear at any age but most often the course is very typical. Approximately 60% of cases of eczema begin in the first year of life, and in about 30% of cases between the first and fourth year of life in 9% between the ages of 6 to 20 years. Sometimes the illness lasts long, even a lifetime. Sometimes occur periods of apparent improvement, usually in the summer, with the following periods of deterioration. Symptoms can differ depending on the age of the child occur in different parts of the body. Atopic Eczema can be divided into four categories according to age: * Infantile atopic dermatitis * Childhood atopic dermatitis (from four to ten years) * Adult atopic dermatitis First symptoms of atopic dermatitis usually appear between the second and third months of life. Occur on the skin red spots with small bubbles, which sometimes grow, burst and filtration. There are stained with blood, secretions creates a yellow or brown-red scabs. The first signs of cracks in the form of red appear most often in the folds of the auricle. These changes can then occur on the cheeks, forehead and chin, then on the sides of the trunk and limbs. Over time, these changes include body hands and feet. Although it is possible the appearance of the first symptoms of atopic dermatitis in later childhood, usually figure...
Words: 770 - Pages: 4
...grants from health and human resources department (TheHill.com, 2012). Just recently, a first grader, Amarria Johnson of Virginia State died after experiencing an episode of anaphylaxis from eating peanut. Her death could have been prevented, but the school had no epinephrine on hand to save her life(TheHill.com,2012).According to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (2011),the delay in using epinephrine is closely associated with death from anaphylaxis,expecially anaphylaxis resulting from peanuts allergy (niaid,2011).Symptoms of anaphylaxis include itching ,swelling of lips and tongue, tightness of throat, skin hives, vomiting, diarrhea ,cramps, shortness of breath, cough, wheezing, weak pulse, dizziness and passing out (niaid,2011). According to Gregory Nancy (July 2012), about eight percent of American children are affected by allergies. Six million children have food allergy and about forty percent of those children have a past history of anaphylaxis. Sixteen to eighteen percent of children with food allergy have had allergic reactions to accidental injection of food while in school. Moreover, statistics on anaphylaxis reaction revealed that twenty five percent of anaphylaxis reaction in school occurred among students without a previous food allergy diagnosis. (Centre for Disease Control and...
Words: 4877 - Pages: 20
...Allergies, What Can We Do? I’m pretty sure at some point in your life you have had allergies, itchy eyes, runny nose, scratchy throat or maybe a rash. These are minor annoyances, but some people have to deal with worse such as puffy eyes, airways closing up, hives, and sometimes even death. Now in reality we will never get rid of allergies, they are congenial, on occasion developed. They will never be cured, but they can be suppressed. Now, a large amount of research has been conducted and we have found things that can be done to help with them, some are superficial and facile while other are more advanced. On the lines of more advanced solutions, they have found something that can help. “The scientists found that the receptor, dectin-1,...
Words: 1295 - Pages: 6
...By Yael L. Maxwell 11 August 2014 6:45 pm 7 Comments The threat of death does not loom over most people who dip their fists in a bowl of honey-roasted cashews. For those with severe nut allergies, however, such a treat can quickly turn into a trip to the emergency room. Now, preliminary research focusing on modifying the protein structures of peanuts and tree nuts could lead to the creation of hypoallergenic nuts that even the severely allergic can enjoy. Peanuts and tree nuts such as cashews and walnuts cause life-threatening allergic reactions in an estimated 19 million adults and children in the United States. “The only widely accepted practice for preventing an allergic reaction to nuts is strict avoidance—stay away from the food,” notes Christopher Mattison, a molecular biologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Research Service. But because even the most careful nut avoider is still prone to accidentally ingesting one, Mattison decided to look for an alternate solution: changing the food instead of changing the person. Many nut allergies are triggered when the immune system recognizes specific proteins in the food and releases the antibody immunoglobulin E (IgE) to latch on to the allergen, thereby causing reactions from mild itching to life-threatening anaphylaxis, a whole body reaction that may include an itchy rash, throat swelling, and low blood pressure. Mattison knew that the problem isn’t the release of IgE per se, but rather the...
Words: 401 - Pages: 2
...Vitamin D insufficiency is associated with challenge-proven food allergy in infants Reaction: This study has shown a pediatric perspective of food allergy in relation so diseases associated with vitamin deficiency. The aim of the study is to investigate the role of vitamin D in infantile food allergy. Skin prick testing was done to 5276 one-year old infants. Infants with detectible negative prick test results attended a hospital-food challenge clinic. Blood samples of 577 infants were obtained wherein 344 of this samples shows challenge-proven food allergy, 74 sensitized but tolerant to food challenge, 159 negative on skin prick. Using liquid chromatography, serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were measured. It was found out that infants born of Australian parents, but not born overseas with vitamin D deficiency were more likely to be allergic to peanut and / or egg than those with adequate vitamin D. Furthermore, among them, infants were more likely also to have multiple food allergies rather than single allergy. Hence, results suggest that there is a significant difference between the statuses of vitamin D of infants as to the probability of having certain allergy on food. It can be concluded that vitamin D sufficiency play an important protective factor for food allergy in the first year of life. Therefore, this study requires immediate action so as to prevent food allergy in infants induced by vitamin D insufficiency in the first year of life. Spontaneous basophil...
Words: 602 - Pages: 3
...Allergies can be triggered by many types of allergens such as pollen, mold, animal dander, and many other types of substances. It affects people with an abnormal response in the immune system and it causes it to react to some usually harmless substances in the environment. An allergic reaction will indicate that a person has been exposed to some type of allergen either by inhaling it, swallowing it, or getting it on their skin. The most common symptoms of an allergy, whether it is inhaled or a skin allergen, are itchy, watery eyes, sneezing, itchy runny nose, rashes, feeling tired or ill, and hives which produce a rash with raised red patches. There are other exposures that create an allergy that include food and insects. Food allergies are capable of causing stomach cramps, vomiting, or diarrhea. While and insect bite from a bee or a different insect, may cause pain, redness, and swelling. Symptoms can vary widely depending on the severity of the allergic reaction. There are mild symptoms that are almost unnoticeable and make someone feel a bit off. The moderate indications can make a person feel sick as if they’ve got the flu or a cold. Then there are the most severe reactions that are very uncomfortable and could become incapacitating which is called anaphylaxis. When the whole body is affected with an anaphylaxis, its reaction will create hives and itching all over the body, not just in the exposed area, wheezing or shortness of breath, hoarseness or tightness in...
Words: 1036 - Pages: 5
...Eosinophilic Esophagitis Treatment Is your child having any difficulty swallowing food? Experiencing nausea and vomiting? Abdominal pain and heartburn? Poor weight gain? These are the symptoms that your child has Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Eosinophilic Esophagitis (EoE or EE) refers to the swelling of the esophagus (muscular tube connecting the throat with the stomach). It is a swallowing disorder cause by allergic reaction usually triggered by food (sometimes it is triggered by environment). EoE affects the child’s ability to eat that results to choking, vomiting and weight loss. EoE is not limited to children, it can occur at any age. There are three ways to treat Eosinophilic Esophagitis: Directed Elimination Diet uses skin...
Words: 344 - Pages: 2
...Biocentric Ethics Analysis SCI/362 December 16, 2013 Biocentric Ethics Analysis Inherent value is to have value in and of oneself, objects are ends in themselves not merely means to some other end (Desjardins, 2013). It has been said that some people value what they consume and this is why genetically modified organisms (GMO’s) are so controversial. Some feel that GMO’s are our only option to the demand of the current population growth, because farmers have said that using the genetically modified seeds have helped the crops grow faster, longer and more fruitful (Robertson, 2003). This is the topic that will be covered in this paper; first, it is important to understand the history of this debate. In 1986, genetically engineered tomatoes were developed and it proved to make the tomatoes more resistance to many herbicides. The Department of Agriculture and the Environmental Protection Agency was not concerned with the thought of possible side effects at this time. In 1990 when “Forbes article “The Lesser of Two Weevils” was released stating “that cotton farmers in the United States had put 100 million pounds of agricultural chemicals on their crop each year for the last several years” (Newton, Dillingham, Choly, 2006) the media went rampant on this information. This caused the controversy to explode into worldwide news headlines. Some countries were claiming that the over use of chemicals in the United States were reckless and dangerous to them as well, with the...
Words: 840 - Pages: 4
...THAT Peter Pan. Peter Pan, Smuckers, Skippy, Jif and all brands of peanut butter are potential killers for people who are severely allergic to peanuts and peanut products. Did you know that one of the ingredients in some flavors of Jelly Belly jelly beans is peanut flour? Did you know that food, processed in equipment that has previously processed food containing peanuts, may be as lethal to the severely allergic as food containing peanuts? If your answer is No, then read on. Here is a story that sounds like something from Stephen King. True food allergies are rare. The FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) estimates that only 2% of the adult population of the United States is allergic to foods. Further, only eight foods cause 90% of all food allergic reactions. They are milk, egg, wheat, peanut, soy, tree nuts, fish and shellfish (Food Allergy Network). Many reactions to foods are really intolerance (reaction of the metabolism due to a chemical deficiency) rather than allergy (reaction of the immune system). Many infant allergies, which are later outgrown, are thought to be the result of immature immune systems. However, other allergies become stronger as the person ages and inadvertently becomes more exposed. One report on KCBS radio indicated there may be a link between mothers who ate peanuts during pregnancy and their children’s subsequent allergies. One of the reactions to peanut allergies is anaphylaxis which is characterized by swelling of the mouth and...
Words: 1226 - Pages: 5
...Leah Duong Professor Butcher ENG 260-1: Writing Essays November 6th, 2014 Life As We Know It was another typical summer day for her: work in the morning and getting off at noon. It was hot that day, around mid-80 degree Fahrenheit, but at least, she was in Colorado and not Ohio, where she went for college. The humidity in Ohio bugged her so much. She hated how sweaty she got just from walking to classes. The stickiness of the body made her uncomfortable just being in her own skin. However, all that did not matter at that moment because she was soaking wet, actually, they were soaking wet. Her younger brother, Bobby, worked with her at the pool. They work as lifeguards and gave swim lessons. She taught four classes that day. The students all ranged from three to six year old. There was, particularly, this little boy around the age of five who would not stop splashing water at her and the others, which was a handful to deal with, but she soon got that situation under control. Fair to say, Lindsey had always been good with children; that was why she wanted to go for Early Education. Just two more years, and she would start living her childhood dream. It had been a long morning, for both her and Bobby. She hushed him to drive faster. She could not wait to get home, to lay on her queen size bed for the rest of the day. Her stomach started to growl. Thinking about it, she hadn’t had a chance to put anything into it yet. To her surprise, there was an opened box of chewy bars...
Words: 1564 - Pages: 7
...expect to have more children affected by allergies, a developing country such as Haiti or America? Despite expectations, in America, peanut and tree nut allergies encompass almost 90% of all food allergies, and the occurrence of peanut allergies in children has increased 21% since 2010 and is projected to increase in the future (American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, 2017). One explanation for this is the Hygiene Hypothesis; the idea that children in developing countries are exposed to more allergens in their environment, and are therefore able to develop more resistance to allergens, while American children are not exposed to many allergens (A. ElHag, personal communication, March 19, 2018). The environment and lifestyle...
Words: 605 - Pages: 3
...Adverse reactions to food Review Peanut Allergies The essay is being reviewed by the following criterias: Format and structure Clarity and precision Quality and reliability of sources Evaluation of sources Presents a clear and substantiated arument Provides clear and applicable recommendations for hospitality industries The reason for choosing the above lies on judging the essay whether or not it provides a clear and consise range of information. It will help the author to know the range of sources used and whether it had been properly evaluated or not. The detailed evaluation of information and wide range range of conclusions which derives from the evaluation of the sources will help to review it according to its 'usage' by the author. Finally recommendations for action which derives from conclusion will help to review it based on its relevance to hospitality and tourism industries. Brief overview of the essay The essay starts off identifying different types of nuts or peanuts. The essay then discusses the facts and figures of illness which creates a sense of feeling that peanut allergies is a serious issue to be considered. It discusses the outbreak in UK and US where peanut allergies are a serious issue. It then goes on describing the causes of the alllergies while moving onto the consequences of how it might affect peopleThe author brings in the dilemma that occurs in the hospitality industry with giving a examples as cited in Hearnes, (2003). The author describes...
Words: 1725 - Pages: 7
