What do you think is the real extent of allergies in this country?

[CasaBevron]

I ask because today I met someone who avoids peanuts because the last time she did her throat tingled and her lips swelled...she just avoids them and thats that.

My mum has loads of foods that make her mouth tingle if she eats them (not always but sometimes), mainly fruits, and also walnuts but she doesn't really make a big deal of it and doesn't do anything to avoid them really apart from the nuts. If she feels something affecting her she just stops eating it. She can eat, but not touch, other foods like citrus. She's never seen anyone about it.

It seems to me that there must be loads of people who eat/touch something, have a reaction and just think 'oh I'll just avoid that from now on then' and never see a doctor or specialist. It sometimes makes me wonder if I must seem really over the top to other people when I tell them that we have seen specialists etc with ds, and I just wonder how many truly allergic people there are who are never 'counted' iyswim? The problem might be much bigger than we realise because half of those who react to stuff just get on with it and don't really worry about it.

Maybe that's the reason that truly serious allergies, especially to anything other than nuts, are not taken as seriously as they might be? Is it that there are many people who just have a mild reaction and then avoid the cause and don't see it as a problem (whether they should do or not)? I've heard loads of anecdotes along the lines of 'oh yes, x couldn't eat egg as a baby but we just waited until she was a bit older and she was okay with it then'...On the other hand, imagine if everyone did seek medical help - waiting lists are long enough as it is!

Just thinking out loud really, but I'm amazed at how many allergies come out of the woodwork once you start talking about them...

ClaireOB, that article is about the age at which solids are introduced, rather than about breastfeeding:
e.g.
It is important not to confuse the evidence for promoting six months? exclusive breast feeding with that for breast feeding itself, which is extensive and is not considered here.

agreed greenbananas, which I alluded to. It's the duration and exclusivity and which appear to be the contentious topics at the moment e.g. here where breastfeeding per se was found to have a small protective effect against early eczema (often forerunner to other allergy) but it's the exclusivity and duration which are in question. (link is a report rather than original study as it's £ to access full text) Anecdotally, I know many women who worry that because they couldn't manage the recommended six months ebf this somehow caused the allergies. Who know, if the duration and exclusivity recommendations are relaxed (based on good evidence, obviously) more women might choost to breastfeed?

this is one study

and this one

my son developed ezcema at day 10 after birth, and had odd hives related to his enviro allergies, that we didnt twig at the time. had asthma response to pollen when 7 months old.

allergies are very complicated and indivdual, and certainly i dont understand my own sons current reactions, and the wonderful allergy docs are still trying to sort him out!