#I don't think people just start dying of hay fever (I have asthma attacks)

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The Era of Allergies

Allergies are a wild thing. We humans have had allergies for thousands of years, we just didn't know how to identify it. There was a recording of an Egyptian pharaoh dying after a single bee sting. In the 1600s, Jean Baptiste van Helmont recorded several instances of what was described as asthma attacks after people ingested sea food like shellfish. Hay fever allergies were seen more like a seasonal illness like a cold. It wasn't until Dr. John Bostock started recording his symptoms in 1812 that allergy study started.

So after more than 200 years of research, we can conclude that Allergies are a real thing. But we still don't know exactly what causes them. Which is a problem, because food allergies are on the rise. We know what happens. In a (nut free) nut shell, our immune system makes an antibody for specific proteins related to food. When our immune system comes in contact with these proteins from a specific food, then release the antibodies to go on the attack. This attack then causes our body to release a bunch of chemicals that causes itching and swelling. Some people get hives, some people's throat swell shut. It's all very personal.

What's really wild is allergies are very unique to each person. Varying in sensitivity and specificity. My mom for example can eat fresh strawberries with no issue. But if they're frozen first, she breaks out in hives. There was a kid at my school who so much as touched coconut ballooned up and needed an epi pen. And I talked to this one guy who was allergic to egg whites but could eat egg yolks with no issue.

So What's causing all these food allergies? What triggers them? Why are they not consistent? Well, the truth of the matter is we don't know for sure. But people smarter than me have some theories. The first theory, (which while I don't think it's the main thing going on, it's probably a big contributor) is we now know what an allergy is and can better record it, as well as treat it. The few possible instances of food allergies in the past may of been misdiagnosed asthma or skin rashes.

The next theory has been that children were eating too much of an allergen prone food too early in life. This is where the explanation of 'Why is everyone allergic to peanuts?' comes from. Because everyone was eating a bunch of peanut butter. So doctors advised parents not to feed their young children allergy prone foods like nuts and eggs. However, that theory has been debunked and doctors are saying again it's fine to introduce your child to these foods. I'm not a doctor so I'm not going to say one way or the other. Just talk to your child's doctor if you have concerns and remember that adults can develop allergies too.

The final theory (And the one I like) is we now live in a very clean society. We know about soap, proper bathing, use chemicals to sterilize our dishware, have food safety protocols; our immune system is looking for something to do. So it decides a protein from a food looks a little like the plague and BAM; off it goes.

Now again, we're not 100% sure why some people get food allergies and some people don't. But it seems to be mostly environmental with minimal genetic components. Which is so new to be figured out, my medical records still say I'm allergic to penicillin despite never having it (My dad was allergic). So here are some things that seem to correlate, though we can't confirm if there's a causation.

Children raised in a house with a cat or dog will be less likely to develop an allergy. Children who start eating a variety of foods from age 6 months in small amounts are less likely to develop an allergy. People with food allergies and asthma are more likely to have an anaphylactic response.

Breastfed babies will be less likely to develop food allergies.

Once you develop an allergy, there is no 'cure'. You might grow out of it, or your doctors can train your body to become less intense. But anything allergy related should be monitored by a doctor. If you encounter anyone who has a severe food allergy, please ask them about their epi-pen! Know where it is so you can get it to them, and how to use it in case they can't.