To wonder where the allergies go?

[Defnotsupergirl]

To start off I'm not saying there are not some very serious, life threatening allergies out there.

My wondering is why you don't come across more adults with these allergies. I work directly with 40 odd adults i.e. We share a fridge and working space etc. none of them have any allergies that I know of apart from one lady who has coeliac disease - and I'm assuming I would know if others did due to having to be careful about birthday cakes, only using certain parts of the fridge etc. no one refused cake or didn't use the fridge.

Up till four years ago I work with another group of people except about 80 of them and none had any known allergy.
None of my friends or acquaintances have ever said they have allergy problems despite me cooking for them and checking in many cases

If you compare with friends DCs school, five of the reception children in a class of 22 have some form of supposed food allergy. Apparently this is a reoccurring theme throughout the school.

Is it that people grow out of these allergies or is it the imagination of over careful parents who see an allergy every time their child vomits after a meal.

AIBU to suggest that there are not as many allergies around as is thought and that it is parents who are quick to blame simple bugs on allergies?

Please note - I again realise there are some life threatening allergies that exist and are a huge problem. This is for the other ones.

[AlpacaLypse]

I think it's a mixture of young children growing out of some allergies and intolerances, and the fact that adults take responsibility for their own lives and don't need to tell work colleagues etc etc.

Although sometimes perhaps it might be a good idea. I've got a lodger, and apparently someone at work thought it would be funny to hide prawns in amongst the bits of ham on his pizza when they all went out for lunch one day. He had to be blue-lighted to hospital.

[AntiDistinctlyMinty]

I too have 'grown into' an intolerance to chilli. According to the GP, I'll always have had it, but each exposure to a substance to which you're intolerant increases its effect (something to do with immune memory and histamines). So ten years ago if I had some chilli I'd get a bit flushed in the face and wheeze a bit; now my face goes puffy and I really struggle to breathe. Of course people put chilli in bloody everything these days so the list of things I can't eat is growing by the day. The number of times I've asked in restaurants if something contains chilli, been told no, and then bitten into a beef burger or something and found all the little red flakes

[zoemaguire]

Daykin cross-posts! It is unsurprising but scary to realise the misconceptions about allergies that a lot of people harbour. There is no reason people should know, of course, but the problem is people who think they know but in actual fact don't have a clue, yet still think they can judge whether others are 'really' allergic or just making it up. Pisses me off no end.

[TiredFeet]

YABU. but you are far from the only one who doesn't understand, my son has multiple allergies, some severe, and I am constantly having to deal with ignorant comments from people

'mild' allergies are just as real as 'severe life threatening allergies'. my sons severe allergic reactions are life threatening but other foods might not threaten his life but they either gave him a severe outbreak of itchy hives or gave him such terribly severe eczema that he was in constant pain and distress.

I don't carry around the piece of paper with my son's blood and skin prick tests on but if I did you would see that all his allergies have been properly diagnosed by specialists

I suspect part of the reason children's allergies are more obvious is that as a parent we have to talk about them, to make sure all adults looking after them, or even around them, are well aware what foods they must avoid (as young children cannot be trusted to speak up / avoid foods themselves). I know plenty of adults with allergies to foods but there is little need for them to mention it most of the time, they can simply avoid those foods without any need to make a fuss.

historically as well, probably many children with severe/ multiple allergies would not have made it to adulthood as these would have been undiagnosed/ untreated

However, there is a trend for a significant increase in allergies /the severity of allergies as well, and there is a lot of research into this area at present but no conclusive answers yet. I spoke to a leading researcher at a party once and his view, at that time, was that it was probably going to be a combination of genetic and environmental factors rather than any one thing. Causes that have been suggested include C-sections, increased cleanliness (but I can promise that doesn't apply in my house ), chemicals in food/ the environment, alterations to plant crops through breeding (eg changes to the wheat plant may explain increased wheat allergy), .....


Boadicea - "Another who said she had been allergic to eggs since a child yet still cakes and other things containing eggs quite happily." ....There are different degrees of egg allergy, it is quite common to be able to have egg baked in a cake and yet be genuinely allergic to egg eg in omelette form, not sure on the science of why but this has been made quite clear to me from specialists at my son's hospital (one of the leading allergy units in the uk). I

[fanjoforthemammaries7850]

Anti..if you are struggling to breathe it sounds like a severe allergy and you should carry an Epipen IMO.

[bruffin]

There is the Leap and Eat studies looking at the introduction of solids and their effect on allergies.. The eat study is introducing peanut and sesame at 3 months.
The results of Leap are due later this year and Eat next year.
My ds has grown out of peanut allergy but not sesame and treenuts. My dh is 52 and has nut and various other allergies.
There is an allergy industry where any quack can set themselves up and diagnose allergies. Every one comes out with a list of allergies from a kinesiology or vega testing. There is no scientific rvidence that they work at all, it should be illegal.

[LittleprincessinGOLDrocks]

My sister had an egg allergy as a child, could not go near raw eggs without her face going puffy, and could only eat egg if cooked in a cake. It was a true allergy, diagnosed after she vomited and went floppy as a young child after eating eggs. Now in her 30s she can eat more egg items, but still can not eat fried or scrambled eggs without a reaction.
So you may well never know of her allergy unless you offered her egg on its own. She can touch eggs and bake with them now.

DS has 2 known allergies. Nuts and Eggs. These are both true allergies diagnosed and tested in allergy clinic. Nuts are only tested twice in a lifetime if the reaction is severe. This is because it is rare for someone to grow out of the nut allergy. If they do it only normally occurs during puberty. So DS was tested as a 3 year old and will not be tested till he reaches 14ish.
For Egg they retest his allergy status every year. The specialist said that with egg allergies a lot of children tend to grow out of the allergy as they approach school age. They become less and less sensitive to it as they get older (like my sister has). Unfortunately DS is not yet showing signs of growing out of it. He was just tested and his reaction was still big to both egg white and yolk. The Dr said it is rare for someone DS age to react as he has done and grow out of it. So we retest in a year and go from there.

To have school say a child is allergic can not be based soley on an "Over careful parent" (as you so nicely put it!) you have to have a signed letter from a Dr (GP or Allergy consultant) stating that they are true allergies. You then need a care plan for school to follow, plus all meds required to treat the allergy should your child be exposed, al of which have to come from the GP / Consultant.

[HopefulHamster]

I am an adult with allergies. Okay so mine aren't food ones, but dust, hayfever, animals, etc. My dad has bazillions of food allergies. He's in his sixties, does that count for you? It can run in families so descendants of such people will always have a chance of having allergies (whether food or other issues). What you have to remember is that decades ago many people with these allergies would die as a child or young adult, so not as many would've survived into adulthood.

Some kids do grow out of certain types of allergy. My husband was definitely allergic to egg as a child but is fine with all forms now.

[TillyTellTale]

Well, in the last ten years, I've developed a noticeable allergy to one particular fruit, but you wouldn't necessarily know as a work colleague, because I simply don't eat it! I don't need to seek permission from anyone to leave it out of my lunch box.

I say noticeable, because I always hated it as a child, and said it made my throat hurt, but I got told I was silly.. It's now got to the point my eyes will itch or ooze if I eat it. Which was when I went to doctor in a panic, and was told I was having an allergic reaction!

[Booboostoo]

YABVU and a bit silly.

Children can grow out of allergies and equally adults can develop allergies. I didn't have eczema as a child but it's pretty certain I have it now and I am not making it up!

Also not all allergies are supposed to be life threatening, there are degrees. My eczema is extremely irritating but hardly life threatening, my wasp allergy though seems to be picking up in severity with each sting so I have to carry an EpiPen.

[SelectAUserName]

I'm 40-odd and allergic to a variety of things, but because I can manage the allergies myself and don't need to rely on responsible adults to be aware in order to help me manage them - as children do - you would probably never know.

I am allergic to penicillin, but as you're not my GP or medical practitioner, you don't need to know that.

I am allergic to certain fresh fruit (it causes mild anaphylaxis) but as I just avoid the fruit which causes it without making a song and dance about it, you wouldn't know if we were eating together in a social setting.

Etcetera etcetera...just because adults aren't announcing it or wearing it on a t-shirt, doesn't mean they aren't quietly managing allergies nonetheless.

[Oldraver]

My DS had from birth a dairy intolerence (instant projectile vomiting) and we think his eczema was triggered by dairy. He had a trial of dairy when he was 4 1/2 which didnt work but had now been able to tolerate dairy for about a year now (he's 8).

So I think some DC do have intolerences that they will grow out of, though probaly not the case with allergies that could result in anaphalaxsis.

The thing is at school if a child is allergic or intolerent as a parent you probably wouldn't know the differentiation, just that the child cant have certain foods

[bruffin]

Oldraver
My ds has outgrown peanut allergy , it does happen.

[LittleprincessinGOLDrocks]

I am hoping DS grows out of his too bruffin. Our specialist said if they grow out of a nut allergy it normally happens around puberty, hence they won't retest DS till he is a teenager. Can I ask if your son was a teenager when he grew out of it, or was it before then?

[bruffin]

It was a test at 12 that showed he grew out of it, but he hadnt grown out of other nut and seed allergies. At least yhey are making progress with cures nowadays

[MrsSquirrel]

YABU

I have a food allergy. None of my work colleagues know this. Why would they? The subjec just doesn't come up in conversation. I obviously don't eat the food I'm allergic to, but then there are probably hundreds of foods I don't eat at work.

[Oldraver]

BRUFFIN...Thats brilliant for him (peanut butter is lush). I know there is a great difference between allergy/intolerence so its good to know that it can get better in both cases

My DS was never at risk to his life with his CMP intolerence but he vomited the moment he was given formula (he was on the ward as no room in SCBU so couldn't have DBM) and eventually vomited blood due to tearing his oesphagus and stomach due to the severity of vomiting, resulting in him becoming aneamic.... so no I was keen to avoid any triggers.

OP FWIW...We are not germ phobic anti-bac sprayers. DS has a very good immune system when it comes to viruses doing the rounds, he rarely catches anything, and is always playing in the mud and he kissed a maggot when fishing. You wont know all your work collegues medical history.. mine dont know there are foods I sometimes avoid. I may have that piece of cake if I decide It will be ok that day, I may just walk away from the cake.

I have also realised I may have an allergy to rabbit...I know wool irritates me so thought I was sneezing when working with wool but when wetting my fingers and wiping away rabbit fur my tongue and lips started to tingle and swell.

Allergies are funny things

[YourGlassesAreOnYourHead]

Some of it might be down to better diagnosis now. My DSis (40) has a milk allergy. Her whole body is covered in hives within minutes. As a child she never 'liked' anything with milk in and refused to eat it. DM moaned to other mums that Dsis was 'so stubborn she will deliberately make herself ill if I make her eat her cheese on toast'. Dsis was diagnosed in her 20s. She wouldn't announce it at work. Going to a dinner party she'd mention it to the host. At a conference she'd take her own snacks.

I have 3 DC. Eldest has no allergies, middle one has severe peanut allergy (epi-pen), youngest is intolerant to wheat and dairy (IBS symptoms - bloating, ab pain and squits for 4-6 hours after eating it).

Cleanliness? C Section? Ready meals? Formula? I don't think so. I am somewhat slatternly, vaginal drug free births, BF for a year, home cooked healthy food (mostly), normal vaccinations, normal social interactions (they all licked other toddlers' faces - why? )

DH used to have dreadful IBS. He gave up wheat on the GP's nutritionist's advice in his 30s. Changed his life. He wouldn't mention it to any of his colleagues. Why would he discuss his problematic bowels at work? He just turns down the birthday cake but accepts a choccy brought back from hols, without explanation.

MiL thinks it ridiculous that perhaps her IBS is down to wheat too (it is often hereditary). She considers intolerances to be soft modern nonsense. She pops a huge number of pills to control her IBS but swap flour, bread and pasta for rice and potatoes? Good lord no!

Sugar makes me behave like an addict. I avoid it. I tell no-one. People who notice probably think it is a 'slimming' thing.

[bochead]

The HV's in my old area directed ALL children with allergies towards one specific nursery that had unofficially acquired a rep at being very good in this area. (ALL settings say they can cope on their official literature for legal reasons, the reality may be very different in practice)

It may be the same thing has happened with the school your children attend OP.

[Daykin]

OldRaver - it's common to outgrow severe allergies. The majority of egg and dairy allergies are outgrown in childhood. Lactose intolerance goes the other way. Very rare in childhood but common in adults, particularly outside of Europe. In some East Asian communities up to 90% of the adult population are lactose intolerant.

[LittleprincessinGOLDrocks]

Thanks bruffin, guess it is a wait and see then. Was a bit down heartening last week when they said he may not grow out of his egg allergy either (as he is getting older it gets less and less likely apparently).
It was made worse (worry wise)by the out of school club feeding him Mayo, and not even noticing he was flushed until I arrived and asked what he was eating. Then they tried to blame their error on my 7 year old DD not telling them! (they are his normal nursery assistants, have had all the training on Epipens and there are posters all round the room with his photo on saying "Do not feed me any egg or nuts, or products that contain them!" - So they should have known better - The head teacher is taking the matter very seriously and all staff are being retrained) But it makes me more worried about leaving him at school, as it was me that noticed and gave him all his meds (whilst having an on looking parent call me cruel for taking the meal from him and for being angry and upset and saying I was over reacting!). I worry about the what ifs? If I hadn't got there when I did, when would they have noticed? When he vomited all over? When he started wheezing and struggling? Or when he pooed himself?Or when he was covered in hives? Or when he stopped responding?
And that was with egg, (he is not as allergic to egg as he is to nuts) with nuts he would be swollen and struggling to breath a lot faster than that.

Sorry, it just worries me when he is out of my sight, please tell me this is normal?

[bruffin]

Ds does eat peanut butter now but he cant eat nuttella or humous. Im half greek cypriot and am sad he cant eat lovely greek cakes or humous.
Allergies are funny

I have hayfever and eczema, dh has animal allergies, treenut and oral allergies,
Ds inherited the hayfever, animal and treenut and gained the sesame .
Yet dd has none at all
In fact ds got all the other genetic problems ie dyslexia and abnormal febrile convulsions called gefs+
Dd just got a minir eye convergiance problem.

[Galaxymum]

Having lived with allergies all my life, I know that my allergies and intolerences have changed over the years. I think OP YABU and allergies and intolerences make an individual's and family life very difficult.

I was diagnosed with multiple allergies - some life threatening at age 12 at a time that it was not accepted by the medical establishment or society. Reaching puberty increased my allergies and sensitivity. As a teen I struggled with a very limited diet and terrible contact allergies to pollen and tree moulds.

Last year, I started reacting to random foods (as I saw it) and healthy foods. I really thought it was my imagination. But I was referred to an excellent allergy specialist who explained how allergies CAN change - I had developed Oral Allergy Syndrome as a result of a lifelong severe birch allergy. Cross pollination was key.

I was obsessed with trying to avoid allergies in DD. At 7 she has only ever shown severe allergies to horses. But I can't explain it other than I was told by GP the allergies reached a peak in me.

Fortunately, when you go to a GP with these odd random symptoms and say "my child ate potatoes/corn/margarine/apples/fish" parents are now believed. At age 12, I nearly died from allergies through ignorance and disbelief in the medical profession. I am very grateful we have moved forward, but sadly there are many people who still think we sufferers and parents of sufferers are just being fussy.

[mistlethrush]

I'm picking them up :( Unusual ones at that - with things I've been fine with for years.

Luckily DS doesn't seem to be allergic to anything I've been allergic to for years or for a shorter time.