From peanuts to shellfish... Why are so many adults suddenly getting allergies?

DailyMail.uk ^ | 15th May 2009 | Lucy Elkins

[yankeedame]

From peanuts to shellfish... Why are so many adults suddenly getting allergies?

"...Over the past decade there has been a huge rise in the number of Britons suffering from hay-fever and eczema as a result of allergies.

As many as one in four people is affected, and ...

... it's not just children who are affected.... increasingly, middle-aged and older people are developing allergies for the first time....they suddenly suffer a reaction to something that for decades did them no harm.

'In the case of food allergies and anaphylaxis, I now see more adults than children - we are inundated with cases,' says Andrew Williams, a consultant nurse... 'Allergic rhinitis and asthma are also becoming more common among adults.'

Many women suddenly develop an allergy during the menopause...

'Another common time seems to be after having been in hospital.'

Often the allergies involve foods such as nuts or shellfish. 'The reactions tend to come on quickly and ...can be very surprising and very frightening - and potentially fatal.'

An allergy occurs when the body over-reacts to the presence of something harmless and produces antibodies and chemicals such as histamine in response. It is the body's way of trying to get rid of the perceived invader as rapidly as possible....

[Born Conservative]

Ping

[mkmensinger]

I read the article expecting them to blame global warming. Happily, they did’t try to do so...this time.

[Frogtacos]

My dad had/has(?) adult-onset allergies. Used to be he could eat shrimp, just couldn’t peel them. Now he can’t eat them, avacados, and is allergic to latex as well. (I’m sure there are other things he now has to avoid but those are the ones I can remember.) Poor guy has to carry the epi-pens with him.

[mysterio]

I doubt it's an increase in allergies. It's more likely an increase in diagnosed allergies.

Although I do admit that while I didn't have allergies as a child, I sure do have them now.

[N3WBI3]

Well if he is allergic to latex you might want to test for a sensitivity to Bananas

[Ditter]

Some times allergies build over time. You can ‘become’ allergic to things you have used or eaten for a long time. I know a lot of people who have become allergic in middle age. It might seem sudden but it's not, it has been building and it just got to the point where you realize it. On the other hand it is your immune system at work, a little too hard, but working just the same.

A doctor once told me after looking at my long list of allergies “hummmmm you probably will never have cancer”.

[N3WBI3]

Allergies are not like asthma, if you have them you know for sure you have them. Especially stuff like Peanuts and Shrimp..

My wife is Oat Allergic she knew before she was tested for it she just know because if she ate anything with oats she would get itcy in her mouth.

I have ‘asthma’ though I never knew it just thought I was out of shape. I only found out at a routine physical.

—

How me process foods, what we put into them and (in my view only) the continuing trend of GMO foods is causing more allergies to form. We still don’t know exactly what causes them..

[Judith Anne]

Excellent point. I have a severe allergy to latex, and cannot eat bananas, avocados, kiwis. And I love all three. After the reaction to eating a banana, though, I haven’t been tempted.

I also carry an epi-pen. The thing about latex allergies, they tend to get worse the older you get.

[N3WBI3]

I carry an epi-pen for my girls both diagnosed very early with a peanut allergy.

My youngest just ‘outgrew’ her allergy (in quotes because she never had a reaction just had a positive blood test). My oldest has had one hospital visit from exposure I am still holding out hope it was something other than peanuts but the doctor wont do a scratch test on her till she has a negative blood test..

[N3WBI3]

BTW do you weak a medic alert bracelet for the latex?

[Frogtacos]

Bananas are on his list of things to watch for, but no reaction as of yet. (Just asked Mom)

[bluegirl]

You can ‘become’ allergic to things you have used or eaten for a long time.

True. I am in my fifties and developed an allergy to wheat last year. It has definitely changed my life. No more bread, pasta, cake, cookies, etc. Most of the commercial wheat/gluten free products taste like crap.

[GOPJ]

Why are so many adults suddenly getting allergies?

Chinese additives and allergy “thresholds”

[libertarian27]

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2009/05/15/can-cigarettes-decrease-the-effect-of-respiratory-allergies/

Who the heck knows?

[HungarianGypsy]

I have a friend who started off with an allergy to latex as a nurse. Her allergies snowballed from there. I think her non-allergies at last count were NOT to cottage cheese, rice, some meats, and some chocolates. Yet, she doesn’t let this keep her from living life fully and doesn’t inconvenience anyone else over it.

[hoosiermama]

I had what Dr's diagnosed as Adult Onset Chronic Asthma and allergies. We now know I was vitamin “D” deficient. Had no windows in my classroom. So got very little sun from October till March.

No more inhalers and can now eat almost anything I want. Am taking supplements and getting plenty of outdoor exercise.

[Dutch Boy]

Mine was scallops. I love scallops but if I eat them now I pass out. I really miss them, especially the bacon wrapped ones.... mmmmm bacon.....

[JenB]

I developed an allergy to fragrances at 21. One day perfumes just started making me physically ill. It’s not as life threatening as food allergies but it’s a lot harder to avoid the things that make me sick.

[alicewonders]

I just assumed it was Bush’s fault.