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So many allergies! Why?

(128 Posts)
Witzend Sun 21-Apr-24 12:00:32

Later today is Gdd1’s birthday party at an outdoor activity centre. ‘Only’ 16 guests, a lot fewer than usual, but 3 of them have severe allergies. I’m supplying some of the food - cup cakes and sausages on sticks, so dd has been ringing in a stew asking about allergens in the sausages.

One child can’t eat wheat, the others have severe allergies to sesame and poppy seeds.

I don’t know about anybody else, but I don’t recall any of this at my own or siblings’ birthday parties, or at dds’ - and they both used to invite the whole class plus other friends, so it was often 35+.

I know it’s hardly a very new thing, but what is going on?

Katie59 Tue 23-Apr-24 17:53:08

HousePlantQueen

Pandrews

I watched a TV programme a few years ago and the rise in caesarean births could explain the change. See this arrivals article for details. www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-49740735

This is discussed in Dr Von Tulliken's book. By not having a vaginal delivery, essential parts of the gut bionome is not passed from mother to child.

Or is it linked to not breast feeding, I can’t see how a c section would affect the immune system

Harris27 Tue 23-Apr-24 17:47:53

You need to work in a nursery there’s more allergies now than ever!

Hevs Tue 23-Apr-24 17:38:51

Luck

Summerlove Tue 23-Apr-24 17:16:24

Foods have checked so much in the last 70 years or so. I think that’s part of it.
Others were just sick and didn’t know why. Some just straight up died.

My father grew up with a peanut allergy. I get told often how these are all new, but some have been around for ages

HousePlantQueen Tue 23-Apr-24 17:09:52

Pandrews

I watched a TV programme a few years ago and the rise in caesarean births could explain the change. See this arrivals article for details. www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-49740735

This is discussed in Dr Von Tulliken's book. By not having a vaginal delivery, essential parts of the gut bionome is not passed from mother to child.

4allweknow Tue 23-Apr-24 16:42:13

I know when I was very there never seemed to be anyone with an allergy or intolerence to foods. Then with my own children no one declaring an allergy or intolerence to any foods for parties, visit for meals or snacks. I do understand the difference between an allergy and an intolerance. Both seem to be rife nowadays.

albertina Tue 23-Apr-24 16:29:39

I wish I had an answer. Age 16 I was stung by a bee while playing crazy golf . I collapsed and came round in a Swiss hospital feeling really odd. I have since asked if I am still allergic and have been told that I need to be stung again to find out. I now carry an Epipen, but for years I just avoided bees.

A few years ago I developed an allergy to one of my favourite fruits, the kiwi fruit. My throat started closing over. Never happened before. Really scary.

More money needs to be put into investigating this issue before more people succumb to it.

grannyro Tue 23-Apr-24 16:23:57

I have two grandsons who both have nut allergies. I have no idea why this is the case, but you are right, there are so many allergies out there at the moment. One of the grandsons just has a mild allergy if he eats nuts but the other one had been taken twice to hospital with it. It is very scarey.

Wilderness Tue 23-Apr-24 16:09:36

I think too there are a lot more chemicals, biproducts and unusual ingredients in our food these days compared to when we were kids.
More herbicides and pesticides, hormones and preservatives.
We ate a lot less of these as kids.

MadeInYorkshire Tue 23-Apr-24 16:01:43

HousePlantQueen

I have always disliked milk, butter and cream, but can eat hard, well matured cheese. Not an allergy, but it makes me heave. Warm school milk was awful.

Funny you should be like that too! I apparently used to, as a child, eat Lurpak off the block! I cannot abide it now, even the thought of it makes me heave, but again I am okay with milk, cream and cheese, but for many many years would only eat cheese if it wasn't melted, I think it was the smell? My dad once gave me the wrong sandwiches, I took a bite and before I had even chewed it I knew, FLORA! I can't even look at that stuff, I was ill for hours!

My aged aunt is the same, but she also hasn't been able to do eggs since she found out where they came from!

I remember clearly being stood over by Mrs Pearson as a child in infant school being made to eat Manchester Tart! I'd eat the pastry and jam, and the swirl of fake cream n the top, but would not have the custard, and haven't eaten it since!

HousePlantQueen Tue 23-Apr-24 15:16:07

I have always disliked milk, butter and cream, but can eat hard, well matured cheese. Not an allergy, but it makes me heave. Warm school milk was awful.

Pandrews Tue 23-Apr-24 15:15:43

I watched a TV programme a few years ago and the rise in caesarean births could explain the change. See this arrivals article for details. www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-49740735

winterwhite Tue 23-Apr-24 15:11:54

Agree with all that has been said about food additives and would go further and include traces of growth hormones fed to cows and pigs which find their way into meat and dairy products and even through run-off into the water system. I often wonder whether this could contribute to increased unease about gender.

HousePlantQueen Tue 23-Apr-24 15:02:09

Gwyllt

Sparklefizz
I think I remember that report and agree I think it was the U.K.
Have you heard the twin Drs Chris and Xand Van Tilican ( not sure of spelling) amongst others going on about UPF and its effect even in the short term

Yes, I am currently reading the book written by Dr Chris Von Tulliken. Hard read but interesting.

LovesBach Tue 23-Apr-24 14:48:40

I can recall two classmates with asthma in my entire school career - they were quite a novelty as they had to use a pump at times. Working in a school recently, I saw that each classroom had a box with labelled asthma pumps - at least two per class. The Head remarked tartly that GPs were 'handing them out like Smarties', which I did find hard to believe - but why do so many have asthma?

Moya Tue 23-Apr-24 14:33:25

As a child I would come out in hives if I ate strawberries or cucumber, luckily as an adult I outgrew it. I am now in my 70's and have a sever allergy to walnuts which developed in my early forties. Thank goodness for the quick thinking of my neighbour who drove me to A&E and got me there just as I was going into anaphylactic shock and had difficulty breathing.

cc Tue 23-Apr-24 13:59:35

I come from a family with asthma and Coeliac disease which I know goes back to at least my grandparents, though the Coeliac disease just used to be called colitis and my very asthmatic Nanny used to sleep on a feather mattress - though she didn't like fresh flowers brought into the house.
I suppose these things have always been around but wonder if being exposed to things when you are very young allieviate them, this has been said about being exposed to nuts as a baby.

FannyD Tue 23-Apr-24 13:53:35

I read a research report recently suggesting that the rise in some allergies in young children could be down to later weaning.

Coconut Tue 23-Apr-24 13:49:29

Personally I also feel that all the chemicals in our food etc cause a lot of today’s issues. If someone’s child has allergies surely it’s safer for the parent to provide their own food and not expect the host to cater for all sorts of allergies. DD is gluten intolerant so will take her own food when she is invited out, and she will always check with restaurants before ordering.

Polremy Tue 23-Apr-24 13:37:15

Marydoll

*Monica*, I too was like you, with teachers standing over me, until I drank the milk. I would then be sick.

Me too. With the added revoltingness of the bottles being heated up on the school boiler beforehand.

Buttonjugs Tue 23-Apr-24 13:35:49

RunaroundSue

No, me neither, we used to have a house full when it was our son's birthdays, they then went to their friends parties and never once did we think about them having an allergy. I wonder if it was because we cooked our own food from natural ingredients as there were no ready meals in the shops. We bought all the ingredients and made the meals from scratch and therefore the children became immune to many things. They ate what was put in front of them without any complaint, as we did when we were children. Our grandson only wants to eat pizzas so pizzas he gets which I don't agree with, he should be eating what the rest of the family are eating, but of course, I keep my mouth shut.

That’s not strictly true. I refused to eat many things, always meat. I’m a vegetarian now. My brother refused to eat baked beans and mashed potato.

Witzend Tue 23-Apr-24 13:30:21

I must say I do wonder about the obsession with the excessive ‘hygiene’ - particularly seen on MN - people endlessly cleaning and disinfecting - the sheer horror of all germs! And all the chemicals in cleaning products - not to mention air and fabric ‘fresheners’.

And lately, sundry products heavily advertised on TV to add to your washing - in addition to detergent and conditioner - to increase its ‘freshness’.
God knows what so many people are breathing in all day. I do wonder especially about anyone who’s pregnant.

Molleonan Tue 23-Apr-24 13:23:10

twitter.com/CartlandDavid/status/1781970980627214760
Dr David Cartland shared this on Twitter. An American doctor assessed his patients - vaccinated and unvaccinated. His discoveries are heart stopping. Almost no ailments, including allergies, amongst the unvaccinated. Unfortunately mainstream medicine and media are uninterested in his findings! No money for big pharma in that!

Cateq Tue 23-Apr-24 13:13:44

Both my brother and I have suffered from eczema since birth , which was exacerbated by perfumed soaps, lanolin which took years to eliminate what was effecting us. A relative of my gran was a dermatologist who advised my mum to use imperial leather soap. It still is the only soap that doesn’t affect my skin. My brother was also allergic to baby formula milk so he was given carnation milk. It hasn’t stopped him he’s 68 and has the smoothest skin of anyone we know.

Lilyflower Tue 23-Apr-24 13:11:58

Crikey, Marydoll. Nearly died in the operating theatre. You win. That certainly wasn't picky eating!

Much sympathy. You must have lived on tenterhooks.