| About two billion people have allergic | | | | fertilizers, it was proved that the |
| complications, according to estimates of | | | | incidence of allergic complications |
| the American Academy of Allergy and | | | | among them is 75% less than in the boys |
| Immunology. Not any other illness, at | | | | who live in the cities. Another |
| any moment of history, affected as much | | | | research, involving 480 cadets of the |
| people. Specialists start to face it as | | | | Italian Air Force disclosed that the |
| an epidemic. Only in the United States, | | | | respiratory allergies are less frequent |
| each year 5 000 people die suffocated | | | | between military that in their childhood |
| during asthma crises, and 90 million | | | | had been exposed to microbes transmitted |
| Americans deal daily with the discomfort | | | | through dirty water and meals cooked |
| of rhinitis and dermatitis, the more | | | | with this water. Its unusual, but |
| common allergic varieties. Finding the | | | | dealing with these facts, scientists are |
| cure or the causes for this became, | | | | tempted to conclude that the suppression |
| thus, a challenge that involves more | | | | of illnesses as measles, mumps and even |
| than interests of public health. | | | | diseases caused mostly in children by |
| An allergic person that takes remedy | | | | viruses and worms, - all practically |
| against his type of allergy will be able | | | | eradicated in the developed countries - |
| to prevent the misfortunes of the | | | | can also have its harmful side, since |
| reactions of his immunological system to | | | | this makes the immunologic system idle. |
| an allergenic (examples of allergenics: | | | | The acceptance of the "hygienical |
| dust, milk, peanut, insects, pets hair, | | | | hypothesis" is growing in the medical |
| etc.). However, the organism will | | | | community and this can lead to |
| continue producing defensive substances | | | | adjustments in the way parents raise |
| that can create an allergic reaction | | | | their children. Even children who have |
| later on, by getting stronger than the | | | | flues with more frequency in the first |
| medicine or generating unknown effects | | | | years of their life seem to tend less to |
| to the person who takes it. This is | | | | develop allergies. |
| extremely related to the causes of the | | | | Super protective parents that do not |
| allergies, another shady area recently | | | | allow the children to walk bare-footed, |
| illuminated by new researches. | | | | have contact with animals or that only |
| During a lot of time, allergies were | | | | bathe their babies in mineral or boiled |
| thought as hereditary, given that | | | | water would be, therefore, producing |
| evidences show that the probability of | | | | negative and contrary consequences to |
| children who have allergic parents to | | | | their children. |
| develop the illness is of 70%. However, | | | | This thesis is based on the hypothesis |
| the advance of the allergic processes in | | | | that the exposure to the microbes in |
| the rhythm of the technological | | | | infancy strengthens the lymphocytes - |
| development and the improvement of the | | | | white cells of the blood that act in the |
| life conditions made the scientists | | | | defence against parasites, embryos, etc. |
| consider other hypotheses. The | | | | Obviously, this doesnt mean that you |
| underprivileged populations of the East | | | | must give in when your son refuses to |
| of Russia, India, Indonesia and Africa | | | | take a bath. But it is probable that the |
| register 50% less incidence of cases of | | | | human body is not changing so quickly as |
| allergies than rich countries - over all | | | | the civilization. For millenniums we |
| when compared to the inhabitants of the | | | | have coexisted with viruses and |
| great European and American | | | | bacteria, and suddenly we become highly |
| metropolises, where there is more | | | | aseptic. Also, our alimentary habits had |
| asepsis and medical care. This leads to | | | | never been modified so radically, nor |
| a hypothetical explanation to the causes | | | | had we as much access to chemical |
| of the allergies, the so called | | | | remedies and other products as we have |
| "hygienical hypothesis". When observing | | | | now. Probably, in the future, people |
| children who live in farms of Germany | | | | will try to treat allergies with a |
| and Austria, where they drink raw milk | | | | healthy diet and less drug |
| and have contact with the land and | | | | prescriptions. |