Why do so many people suffer from allergies etc these days?

[Berries]

We were born to mothers who smoked and drank
Our cribs were covered in lead based paint


....snip...

Loyal by Dave Dobbyn?

[imdying]

To agree with that first you'd have to accept the incorrect premise that there are more people suffering from allergies these days (presumably compared to a generation ago).

[Pwalo]

Seem to be a pretty simplistic article to base any conclusions on. Rather have the modern cleanliness thingy, and risk living longer.

Always interesting the way that a lot of 'health' articles try and measure different countries to back up their slant. I wonder how well Estonia measure/reports it's health stats compared to Sweden.

[XxKiTtiExX]

I call bullshit. My son is nearly 3 and taking daily antihistamines on a long term basis to help control allergies. We have pets in the house, we live on 18 acres of partial farm. He plays in dirt. Hell I've even seen that damn kid eat an ice cream in a cone sand and all. I'm not excessive with having a clean house, and making him wash his hands etc (in saying that we don't live filthily). He falls over in the mud. Plays in the rain. Picks up food off the floor and eats it. To top that whole lot off, we just found out someone I am close to at 48 has an autoimmune disease (she has NEVER been excessively clean, worked on a farm etc, played in dirt as a kid). Maybe is not that there has been a rise in people who are suffering from allergies and autoimmune diseases, more that fact that times have changed and we have found better ways of actually diagnosing and managing allergy and autoimmune diseases that years ago we didn't really know much about, let alone that they existed.

[Laava]

I have question, if you have a cold or similar where you have a lot of mucus that you either cough up or such, does this condition make you less susceptible to other airborne forms of virus etc? Also, when you have a tape worm or worms in general, is it likely that this will actually reduce your chances of certain other afflictions in the guts?
In a similar way to how a lining on your stomach can be a barrier to toxins etc.

[yungatart]

My grandmother had allergies, my grand children have allergies, and all the generations in between have allergies.
They are not a new phenomenon, my granny would be nearly 130 if she were still alive.

[Berries]

They are not a new phenomenon, my granny would be nearly 130 if she were still alive.

My great great great great grandma would be over 200 now.

[nodrog:Me]

what sort of motorcycle gang are they?

[MSTRS:Me]

Hands up all those old/er members who often caught a summer cold. Nowadays it is known as hayfever. Hence allergies being more common now?
I am a firm believer in A little dirt never hurt anyone. Just as too much (or too little) is not necessarily a good thing.
My mother had a saying "A home should be clean enough to be happy, and dirty enough to be healthy". Or something...

[scracha]

I'm wondering if it's all the complex chemicals we encounter these days. The antibiotics in our kiwifruit. The pesticide residue in other fruit. The preservatives, flavoring and coloring in our food. The fumigation shit they spray on imported clothing. The chemicals we breathe from vehicles. ?

[Hans]

I think it's probably a mix of several factors:

a) Overly clean environment in which the kid is raised... Now now, before you start yelling, I know the article was poorly written, but that doesn't mean the idea is without merit.

b) Exposure to all sorts of funky chemicals... There are many examples of unintended consequences...Think Paraquat and Parkinson's disease as an example...

c) And to top it off, my pet theory about partner selection under the influence of hormonal contraceptives. It is well known that we choose sexual partners largely based on smell. It has been proven (don't ask me for a reference here...ok, ask if you must, I can probably dig it up somewhere) that whether a person "smells attractive" is an indication of how different, yet compatible, the genetics behind our immune systems are. In short, if you smell nice, our kids will most likely have a healthy, well adjusted immune system.
It is a well known fact that hormonal contraceptives alter a female's sense of smell, as well as the type of partner she prefers.

Draw your own conclusions...

[Daffyd]

I'm wondering if it's all the complex chemicals we encounter these days. The antibiotics in our kiwifruit. The pesticide residue in other fruit. The preservatives, flavoring and coloring in our food. The fumigation shit they spray on imported clothing. The chemicals we breathe from vehicles. ?

Hit the nail on the head in my book!