Allergies on the Rise 2011
With the spring season approaching, allergy season has arrived and seems to be here to stay. If you are one of those sneezing, tearing, and breathless “full-of-symptoms” victims, you surely are not suffering alone! Approximately 54% of the American population experiences the discomfort of allergies; this statistic has increased five-fold since 1990! So what is causing this substantial increase? Although no one knows the answer s for sure, scientists have reached a few valid possibilities.
Experts say that we can point a finger at our extreme degree of cleanliness. Who would’ve thought that being too clean could be a bad thing? Our compulsive need to be dirt free proposes the idea that we aren’t exposing ourselves (and especially our children) to enough bacteria. However, this doesn’t mean we should go run through the contagious disease section of a hospital! If we aren’t exposed to enough infectious agents, we could develop an under-stimulated and overly vulnerable immune system; ultimately not producing enough anti-bodies. A problematic immune system could attack harmless agents, anything really, from peanuts to pollen!
Another possibility for the increase in allergies can be due to the constant changes in our environment. Global warming and rising carbon dioxide levels have led to earlier plant flowering and increasing pollen levels with longer seasons. Also, even though we may be “too clean” of a population, not everything about us is clean; take a look at what we do to our environment. The increased pollutants in the air may be exasperating our allergies!
It wouldn’t be surprising if the actual number of allergies wasn’t in fact undergoing the increase, but instead, the number of diagnoses. With our health-obsessed society, people are going to the doctor for the smallest skin rash or pimple on their forehead, always believing they have something worse.
Although we don’t know the exact cause of allergies, there are many measures we can take so that allergies don’t take over our lives. There are readily available over-the-counter drugs such as Allegra and Clariton, as well as prescription medications through your doctor such as Clarinex. There are also natural remedies in the works, such as herbal supplements like saline or European herb butterbur, as well as natural nutrients like grape seed extract and flavonoid which occur naturally in many foods.
So what’s the outcome? Are we too clean, is our environment too dirty, or are we simply over-diagnosing ourselves? Don’t trap yourself in an Purell bubble; there is nothing wrong with letting your kids play in the dirt!
