Americans Sneeze More As Allergies Mysteriously Increase

March 30, 2010

http://news./s/livescience/20100326/sc_livescience/americanssneezemoreasallergiesmysteriouslyincrease/print

Americans

Sneeze More As Allergies Mysteriously Increase

Rachael Rettner

LiveScience Staff Writer

livescience.com Fri Mar 26, 11:01 am ET

If you think you're seeing more people sneezing and tearing up this

allergy

season, you might be right. Studies show that allergies are on the rise

in

developed countries, including the United States - not just

seasonal

allergies, but allergies of all kinds.

An allergy is a reaction of your immune system to what are usually

harmless,

run-of-the-mill substances, such as pollen, cat hair, or even a peanut.

About

54 percent of Americans are sensitive to at least one allergy-inducing

substance, according to a national survey conducted from 1988 to 1994

by the

National Institutes of Health (NIH). That's about two to five times

higher,

depending on the allergen, than the rates found by NIH between 1976 and

1980.

The result: Americans are sneezing and wheezing and rubbing itchy eyes

more

than ever.

The insurance claims that people file when they see an allergist also

document

an increase, according to Dr. Jacqueline S. Eghrari-Sabet, an allergist

at

Family Asthma & Allergy Care in Gaithersburg,

Md., and a fellow of the American Academy

of Allergy Asthma & Immunology.

And food allergies in children have also experienced an uptick. From

1997 to

2007, the number of children with food allergies rose 18 percent,

according to

the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

"You walk in to any kindergarten, and there all peanut-free

kindergarteners because of the high incidence of peanut allergy," said

Eghrari-Sabet. "Those kids are real, and they weren't there the

generation

before."

While no one knows for sure what's fueling the increase in allergies,

Eghrari-Sabet and others suggest some possibilities, including:

We're too clean

Cleanliness could be to blame. The "hygiene hypothesis" proposes

children aren't exposed to enough dirt, bacteria and other infectious

agents

early on, and their under-stimulated immune systems goes on the offense

when

exposed to benign stuff like food.

"Their 'bored' immune system goes out and attacks a peanut, an egg,

wheat,

milk - foods that are in everybody's diet quiet normally,"

Eghrari-Sabet

said.

Previous studies have shown that children in daycares, known to be

hotbeds for

spreading germs, have fewer allergies than those raised at home with

less

contact with other kids, said Dr. Richard Honsinger, an allergist and

immunologist at Los Alamos Medical Care Clinic in New Mexico.

However, Eghrari-Sabet notes that while both statements are true -

children are

kept in cleaner environments, and children have more food allergies

than ever

before - this doesn't make the hygiene hypothesis true.

Global warming

The rise in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and warming global

temperatures could also be contributing to the allergy increase.

A 2005 study found that plants are flowering earlier in the year, and

total

pollen production is increasing. A more recent study in Italy

found

that not only had pollen levels increased in the area, but the

populations'

sensitivity to pollen had increased as well. While genetics plays a

large role

in all allergies, a longer and more intense pollen season could

exacerbate

symptoms.

We're too dirty

All the smog and other types of air pollution might also be making

allergies

worse, particularly asthma. However, while there is good evidence for

the link

between pollution and allergies in a test tube, it remains tough to

prove in

large populations of people, Eghrari-Sabet said.

Just more diagnoses

It's possible that the rising numbers are simply due to more people

being

diagnosed with allergies, Eghrari-Sabet said. "Whereas before people

were

told you just have dry skin or a rash, now they're told, you have

eczema,"

she said.

With better allergy treatments, more sufferers might go to their

doctor, bumping

up diagnoses more. However, more diagnoses alone simply can't explain

the

entire increase, especially for food allergies Eghrari-Sabet said.

Mystery remains

The real culprit remains a mystery. We're too clean, we're too dirty

and

everything in between; all of these hypotheses could be operating

simultaneously, or all could be untrue.

"They're really pretty much all on the same level, and the reason for

that

is because they are all equally hard to prove," Eghrari-Sabet said.

However, Honsinger thinks that the hygiene hypothesis has the most

backing in

terms of evidence, and is becoming more accepted among those in the

field. But

he agrees that the rise in sniffles and sneezes remains unexplained.

"I don't think we have a single cause, and I don't know if we have an

answer for sure," he said.

And it remains unclear if an answer will come anytime soon. Funding

tends to go

toward research into what to do about the allergy increase, rather than

into

what's causing it, Eghrari-Sabet said.

March 30, 2010

Can you say chemtrails?

Raven <NWRaven"1 @" ; "1 MedicalConspiracies@googlegrou" <MedicalConspiracies (AT) googl (DOT) com>; "1 Paranormal_Research@" <Paranormal_Research >Tue, March 30, 2010 2:52:45 AM Americans Sneeze More As Allergies Mysteriously Increase

http://news. / s/livescience/ 20100326/ sc_livescience/ americanssneezem oreasallergiesmy steriouslyincrea se/printAmericans Sneeze More As Allergies Mysteriously Increase Rachael RettnerLiveScience Staff Writerlivescience. com Fri Mar 26, 11:01 am ET If you think you're seeing more people sneezing and tearing up this allergy season, you might be right. Studies show that

allergies are on the rise in developed countries, including the United States - not just seasonal allergies, but allergies of all kinds. An allergy is a reaction of your immune system to what are usually harmless, run-of-the-mill substances, such as pollen, cat hair, or even a peanut. About 54 percent of Americans are sensitive to at least one allergy-inducing substance, according to a national survey conducted from 1988 to 1994 by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). That's about two to five times higher, depending on the allergen, than the rates found by NIH between 1976 and 1980. The result: Americans are sneezing and wheezing and rubbing itchy eyes more than ever. The insurance claims that people file when they see an allergist also document an increase, according to Dr. Jacqueline S. Eghrari-Sabet, an allergist at Family Asthma & Allergy Care in Gaithersburg , Md. , and a fellow of the American Academy of Allergy

Asthma & Immunology. And food allergies in children have also experienced an uptick. From 1997 to 2007, the number of children with food allergies rose 18 percent, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "You walk in to any kindergarten, and there all peanut-free kindergarteners because of the high incidence of peanut allergy," said Eghrari-Sabet. "Those kids are real, and they weren't there the generation before." While no one knows for sure what's fueling the increase in allergies, Eghrari-Sabet and others suggest some possibilities, including: We're too clean Cleanliness could be to blame. The "hygiene hypothesis" proposes children aren't exposed to enough dirt, bacteria and other infectious agents early on, and their under-stimulated immune systems goes on the offense when exposed to benign stuff like food. "Their 'bored' immune

system goes out and attacks a peanut, an egg, wheat, milk - foods that are in everybody's diet quiet normally," Eghrari-Sabet said. Previous studies have shown that children in daycares, known to be hotbeds for spreading germs, have fewer allergies than those raised at home with less contact with other kids, said Dr. Richard Honsinger, an allergist and immunologist at Los Alamos Medical Care Clinic in New Mexico. However, Eghrari-Sabet notes that while both statements are true - children are kept in cleaner environments, and children have more food allergies than ever before - this doesn't make the hygiene hypothesis true. Global warming The rise in carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere and warming global temperatures could also be contributing to the allergy increase. A 2005 study found that plants are flowering earlier in the year, and total pollen production is

increasing. A more recent study in Italy found that not only had pollen levels increased in the area, but the populations' sensitivity to pollen had increased as well. While genetics plays a large role in all allergies, a longer and more intense pollen season could exacerbate symptoms. We're too dirty All the smog and other types of air pollution might also be making allergies worse, particularly asthma. However, while there is good evidence for the link between pollution and allergies in a test tube, it remains tough to prove in large populations of people, Eghrari-Sabet said. Just more diagnoses It's possible that the rising numbers are simply due to more people being diagnosed with allergies, Eghrari-Sabet said. "Whereas before people were told you just have dry skin or a rash, now they're told, you have eczema," she said.

With better allergy treatments, more sufferers might go to their doctor, bumping up diagnoses more. However, more diagnoses alone simply can't explain the entire increase, especially for food allergies Eghrari-Sabet said. Mystery remains The real culprit remains a mystery. We're too clean, we're too dirty and everything in between; all of these hypotheses could be operating simultaneously, or all could be untrue. "They're really pretty much all on the same level, and the reason for that is because they are all equally hard to prove," Eghrari-Sabet said. However, Honsinger thinks that the hygiene hypothesis has the most backing in terms of evidence, and is becoming more accepted among those in the field. But he agrees that the rise in sniffles and sneezes remains unexplained. "I don't think we have a single cause, and I don't know if we have an answer for sure,"

he said. And it remains unclear if an answer will come anytime soon. Funding tends to go toward research into what to do about the allergy increase, rather than into what's causing it, Eghrari-Sabet said.