Allergies Becoming More Severe in Kids
Besides more cases, CDC finds it takes less to spark a reaction

(HealthDay News) -- A growing number of American children are suffering from allergies, and their reactions -- including severe rashes and airway obstructions -- are increasingly more severe and can even be deadly, experts say.

About 3 million kids younger than 18 are now being diagnosed each year with a food allergy -- an 18 percent jump since 1997, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported.

And it seems that kids today get a reaction with less exposure, Dr. Sami L. Bahna, a professor of pediatrics and medicine and chief of allergy and immunology at Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, told HealthDay.

"People used to react by eating the food, but there are many people now that react by touching or smelling the food," he said.

Not just food allergies are on the rise, though. "All the allergies are increasing -- asthma, hay fever, eczema," Bahna said.

According to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, an allergy is an abnormal reaction to a harmless substance called an allergen. When an allergen is absorbed into the body of an allergic person, that person's immune system views the allergen as an invader, and a chain reaction is initiated. White blood cells of the immune system produce IgE antibodies. These antibodies attach themselves to special cells, called mast cells, causing a release of potent chemicals such as histamine. The chemicals cause symptoms: a runny nose, watery eyes, itching and sneezing.

The most common allergens include pollens, molds, dust mites, animal dander (dead skin flakes from animals with fur), foods, medications, cockroach droppings and insect stings.

Bahna blames several things for the increase in allergies.

First up: the "hygiene hypothesis." People living in industrialized countries are in more sterile environments, which means that their immune systems don't have to fight as many infections. As a result, according to the theory, their immune systems become hyperactive.

Another factor contributing to the allergy explosion is the increased use of antacids and multivitamins among children, Bahna said.

Even food itself might play a role. Kids who eat more of highly allergenic foods -- such as fish, peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs and soy -- also are more likely to have allergies. And, ingredients in processed foods also can trigger allergic reactions, Bahna said.

Allergic reactions can be deadly, and available treatments are limited to avoiding the foods that cause problems and treating the symptoms that come from reactions, Bahna said.

But new treatments could be on the way.

Dr. Robert A. Wood, director of pediatric allergy and immunology at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, is focusing on new treatments for food allergies. Those include:

• Anti-IgE antibodies, which stop the sequence of events that lead to a reaction
• A Chinese herbal remedy that is aimed at peanut allergies
• Immunotherapy, which boosts people's tolerance by exposing them to more of an allergen over time

On the Web

To learn more about food allergies, visit the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology.

SOURCES: HealthDay News ; Robert A. Wood, M.D., professor, pediatrics and international health, and director, pediatric allergy and immunology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore; Sami L. Bahna, M.D., Dr.P.H., professor, pediatrics and medicine, and chief, allergy and immunology, Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center, Shreveport, La.; Nov. 10, 2008, presentations, American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology annual meeting, Seattle; American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (www.aaaai.org)
Author: Dennis Thompson
Publication Date: Nov. 30, 2009
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