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From peanuts to shellfish... Why are so many adults suddenly getting allergies?
DailyMail.uk ^ | 15th May 2009 | Lucy Elkins

Posted on 05/17/2009 7:28:33 AM PDT by yankeedame

From peanuts to shellfish... Why are so many adults suddenly getting allergies?

"...Over the past decade there has been a huge rise in the number of Britons suffering from hay-fever and eczema as a result of allergies.

As many as one in four people is affected, and ...

... it's not just children who are affected.... increasingly, middle-aged and older people are developing allergies for the first time....they suddenly suffer a reaction to something that for decades did them no harm.

'In the case of food allergies and anaphylaxis, I now see more adults than children - we are inundated with cases,' says Andrew Williams, a consultant nurse... 'Allergic rhinitis and asthma are also becoming more common among adults.'

Many women suddenly develop an allergy during the menopause...

'Another common time seems to be after having been in hospital.'

Often the allergies involve foods such as nuts or shellfish. 'The reactions tend to come on quickly and ...can be very surprising and very frightening - and potentially fatal.'

An allergy occurs when the body over-reacts to the presence of something harmless and produces antibodies and chemicals such as histamine in response. It is the body's way of trying to get rid of the perceived invader as rapidly as possible....

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: allergies
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1 posted on 05/17/2009 7:28:33 AM PDT by yankeedame
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To: neverdem

Ping


2 posted on 05/17/2009 7:30:22 AM PDT by Born Conservative (Bohicaville: http://bohicaville.wordpress.com/)
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To: yankeedame

I read the article expecting them to blame global warming. Happily, they did’t try to do so...this time.


3 posted on 05/17/2009 7:33:29 AM PDT by mkmensinger
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To: yankeedame

My dad had/has(?) adult-onset allergies. Used to be he could eat shrimp, just couldn’t peel them. Now he can’t eat them, avacados, and is allergic to latex as well. (I’m sure there are other things he now has to avoid but those are the ones I can remember.) Poor guy has to carry the epi-pens with him.


4 posted on 05/17/2009 7:36:49 AM PDT by Frogtacos (It all went to hell when we started cooking outside and crapping inside.)
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To: yankeedame
I doubt it's an increase in allergies. It's more likely an increase in diagnosed allergies.

Although I do admit that while I didn't have allergies as a child, I sure do have them now.
5 posted on 05/17/2009 7:38:21 AM PDT by mysterio
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To: Frogtacos

Well if he is allergic to latex you might want to test for a sensitivity to Bananas


6 posted on 05/17/2009 7:40:51 AM PDT by N3WBI3 (Ah, arrogance and stupidity all in the same package. How efficient of you. -- Londo Mollari)
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To: yankeedame
Some times allergies build over time. You can ‘become’ allergic to things you have used or eaten for a long time. I know a lot of people who have become allergic in middle age. It might seem sudden but it's not, it has been building and it just got to the point where you realize it. On the other hand it is your immune system at work, a little too hard, but working just the same.

A doctor once told me after looking at my long list of allergies “hummmmm you probably will never have cancer”.

7 posted on 05/17/2009 7:41:26 AM PDT by Ditter
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To: mysterio

Allergies are not like asthma, if you have them you know for sure you have them. Especially stuff like Peanuts and Shrimp..

My wife is Oat Allergic she knew before she was tested for it she just know because if she ate anything with oats she would get itcy in her mouth.

I have ‘asthma’ though I never knew it just thought I was out of shape. I only found out at a routine physical.

How me process foods, what we put into them and (in my view only) the continuing trend of GMO foods is causing more allergies to form. We still don’t know exactly what causes them..


8 posted on 05/17/2009 7:44:19 AM PDT by N3WBI3 (Ah, arrogance and stupidity all in the same package. How efficient of you. -- Londo Mollari)
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To: N3WBI3

Excellent point. I have a severe allergy to latex, and cannot eat bananas, avocados, kiwis. And I love all three. After the reaction to eating a banana, though, I haven’t been tempted.

I also carry an epi-pen. The thing about latex allergies, they tend to get worse the older you get.


9 posted on 05/17/2009 7:44:34 AM PDT by Judith Anne
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To: Judith Anne

I carry an epi-pen for my girls both diagnosed very early with a peanut allergy.

My youngest just ‘outgrew’ her allergy (in quotes because she never had a reaction just had a positive blood test). My oldest has had one hospital visit from exposure I am still holding out hope it was something other than peanuts but the doctor wont do a scratch test on her till she has a negative blood test..


10 posted on 05/17/2009 7:47:34 AM PDT by N3WBI3 (Ah, arrogance and stupidity all in the same package. How efficient of you. -- Londo Mollari)
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To: Judith Anne

BTW do you weak a medic alert bracelet for the latex?


11 posted on 05/17/2009 7:48:31 AM PDT by N3WBI3 (Ah, arrogance and stupidity all in the same package. How efficient of you. -- Londo Mollari)
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To: N3WBI3

Bananas are on his list of things to watch for, but no reaction as of yet. (Just asked Mom)


12 posted on 05/17/2009 7:53:03 AM PDT by Frogtacos (It all went to hell when we started cooking outside and crapping inside.)
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To: Ditter
You can ‘become’ allergic to things you have used or eaten for a long time.

True. I am in my fifties and developed an allergy to wheat last year. It has definitely changed my life. No more bread, pasta, cake, cookies, etc. Most of the commercial wheat/gluten free products taste like crap.

13 posted on 05/17/2009 7:55:05 AM PDT by bluegirl
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To: yankeedame; neverdem
Why are so many adults suddenly getting allergies?

Chinese additives and allergy “thresholds”

14 posted on 05/17/2009 7:58:17 AM PDT by GOPJ
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To: yankeedame

http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/discoblog/2009/05/15/can-cigarettes-decrease-the-effect-of-respiratory-allergies/

Who the heck knows?


15 posted on 05/17/2009 7:58:45 AM PDT by libertarian27 (Ingsoc: Life, Liberty and the Department of Happiness)
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To: Frogtacos

I have a friend who started off with an allergy to latex as a nurse. Her allergies snowballed from there. I think her non-allergies at last count were NOT to cottage cheese, rice, some meats, and some chocolates. Yet, she doesn’t let this keep her from living life fully and doesn’t inconvenience anyone else over it.


16 posted on 05/17/2009 8:01:18 AM PDT by HungarianGypsy
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To: bluegirl
I had what Dr's diagnosed as Adult Onset Chronic Asthma and allergies. We now know I was vitamin “D” deficient. Had no windows in my classroom. So got very little sun from October till March.

No more inhalers and can now eat almost anything I want. Am taking supplements and getting plenty of outdoor exercise.

17 posted on 05/17/2009 8:01:20 AM PDT by hoosiermama (Berg is a liberal democrat. Keyes is a conservative. Obama is bringing us together already!)
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To: Ditter

Mine was scallops. I love scallops but if I eat them now I pass out. I really miss them, especially the bacon wrapped ones.... mmmmm bacon.....


18 posted on 05/17/2009 8:04:26 AM PDT by Dutch Boy
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To: yankeedame

I developed an allergy to fragrances at 21. One day perfumes just started making me physically ill. It’s not as life threatening as food allergies but it’s a lot harder to avoid the things that make me sick.


19 posted on 05/17/2009 8:05:25 AM PDT by JenB
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To: mkmensinger

I just assumed it was Bush’s fault.


20 posted on 05/17/2009 8:05:59 AM PDT by alicewonders
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