Some people are at higher risk of developing allergies. Also, risk factors favor their appearance.
Discover them here.
Allergies: people at risk
Children with at least one parent, brother or sister suffering from allergies.
Children with eczema and allergic rhinitis at a young age are at higher risk for asthma .
Allergies: risk factors
Smoking
Maternal smoking during pregnancy and exposure to second-hand smoke in early childhood put children at higher risk for asthma .
Pollution
Air pollution is as much a risk factor as an aggravating factor. It causes acute exacerbations of asthma and aggravates allergic rhinitis . Also, climate change would notably have the effect of increasing the production of pollen by plants, in certain regions of the world .
There is no consensus on the following factors. These are interesting hypotheses currently under study.
According to the hygienist hypothesis (see description above), the fact that children acquire fewer viral infections at a very young age would contribute to allergies. Fewer and fewer families – which reduces the exchange of infections between brothers and sisters – live in a more sanitized environment.
Treatments to prevent and treat infections are also more accessible (vaccines, antivirals, antibiotics). A review of studies has shown that children who attend daycare (nursery) contract more infectious diseases, but are less at risk of allergies .
The abandonment of breastfeeding
Breast milk modifies the composition of the infant’s intestinal flora by enriching it with bifidobacteria which would reduce the risk of allergy . Combined with exposure to bacteria and viruses, breastfeeding contributes to the proper maturation of the immune system.
On the other hand, the proteins contained in breast milk would be less irritating for the baby’s intestine and they would make the intestine less sensitive to allergenic molecules.
Too few fruits and vegetables and too many omega-6s
Dietary antioxidants and a good omega-3/omega-6 ratio may be especially important during pregnancy and in infancy .
Experts have noted the following changes in the diets of Westerners:
Reduced consumption of fruits and vegetables. These foods are important sources of antioxidants, for example, vitamin C, vitamin E, carotenoids and selenium. There may be a link between their low consumption and asthma .
A lack of antioxidants in the lungs would make the respiratory system more susceptible to oxidative damage, inflammation and asthma . Thus, a diet low in fruit and vegetables would make individuals more susceptible to allergies.
Increased consumption of omega-6 fatty acids, found mainly in certain vegetable oils (corn oil, sunflower oil and seeds, safflower oil, sesame oil and soybean oil) to the detriment omega-3s (fatty fish, walnuts, flax seeds, etc.) .
The Western diet provides an excess of omega-6, and a deficiency in omega-3: which would cause cardiovascular diseases, allergies and inflammatory diseases . See our Essential fatty acids sheet for more information.
Exposure to moisturizing creams or lotions containing peanut oil during the first 6 months of life may increase the risk of peanut food allergy . Exposure can come from creams applied to the mother’s nipples to relieve chapping caused by breastfeeding, or from creams applied to the skin of infants to treat dry skin, diaper rash, etc.
It seems that creams containing peanut oil are quite numerous on the market. In an American study of 13,971 children, 35% of mothers whose children had a peanut allergy had used this type of cream . To check if a product contains peanut oil, consult its list of ingredients or ask a pharmacist.
Exposure to pet allergens (dander and saliva) does not appear to contribute to the development of allergies in children . On the contrary, according to several cohort studies, children exposed to animals in their first year of life, especially cats and dogs, would be less at risk.
