Brooke Yeates-Trotman

Rising and Rising: The Allergy Rate is Increasing and What We Can do to Stop it
Research Question:
What is the main cause of the rise in people affected by peanut allergies how can one
decrease the number of people with peanut allergies in the future generations?
Hypothesis:
One can decrease the number of people with peanut allergies in the upcoming years by
feeding their children breast milk instead of formula, and introducing common allergens, such as
peanuts, earlier in their lives.
Background/ History of the Issue:
For the past few generations, more and more people have been severely affected by
allergies. 30%- 35% of the worlds population is affected by allergies and about 15 million
Americans have food allergies alone. Not only do so many people have it, but the number of
people with allergies is raising. In 1997, the number of people with allergies was 0.6%, then rose
to 1.2% in 2002 and kept going in 2010 with the rate at 2.1%. These are not big numbers, but is
it is not hard to tell the numbers are increasing a fast pace. Also, from 1997 to 2007, the number
of children between the ages of 3 and 4 with allergies rose be 18%. This means that the
anaphylaxis reactions is also on the raise. An anaphylaxis reaction is a severe, potentially deadly
reaction usually found in peanut allergies. Some symptoms include skin rash, nausea, vomiting,
difficulty breathing, and shock. With all of these people having allergies one could not help but
wonder, why are so many people getting allergies? A number of theories came to mind, one
being the hygiene theory. The hygiene theory states that because of the improved sanitary

conditions and decreased exposure to infections and disease in childhood is causing the raise of
autoimmune diseases such as allergies. Because of the new overly hygienic trends, certain
microorganisms that is beneficial to bodys immune system. Recent studies pinpointed the effect
of this hypothesis. Like the lack of certain microorganisms and bacteria which is supposed stop
cells that cause inflammation. This inflammation is what is known as allergies or asthma.
Different allergies can lead to different reactions, such as coughing, sneezing, stuffy nose, rashes,
and more depending on the type of allergen. For example, poison ivy usually causes a rash and
pollen allergies usually causes sneezing or a stuffy nose. Most of the peanut allergies can end
deadly, with swelling in the face and neck including swelling of the throat closing or blocking of
the airway. With this range of reactions, it essential to figure out a way to reduce the allergy rate.
Rationale:
I feel that the allergy issue is important to everyday people because the number of people
with allergies is increasing and could affect you or your loved ones. Allergies are more than just
an sneezing and coughing it could lead to life threatening reactions such as swelling of the throat
and face blocking the airway. If there is a way to prevent these experiences then we should take
that into effect. These reactions are preventable and if we should. There is no cure for allergies so
the only way to get rid of them is to gradually decrease the number of people that have allergies
through generations.

Basis of Hypothesis:
I decided look into the rate of allergy production because I have allergies and I was
wondering what it would take to get rid of the allergies I have. When doing research, the
realization came that because it was an autoimmune disease I wasnt getting rid of them. I was

also talking to my mother and she said people didnt always have allergies like they do now.
When she was growing up, maybe one or two people had allergies, now there are whole tables of
kids dedicated to allergies. I wanted to know why that is today, why is it that so many people
have allergies when a couple of decades ago there was barely people with allergies. I have found
so far the environments between then and now have changed. For example, more industrial
production. I think all of the pollution from the industrial production is affecting us and one of
those ways being autoimmune diseases.
Operational Definitions:
Allergen: A substance that causes an allergic reaction.
Autoimmune: Relating to disease caused by antibodies or lymphocytes produced against
substances naturally present in the body.
Anaphylaxis: a type of severe, possibly deadly reaction. Symptoms include skin rash, nausea,
vomiting, difficulty breathing, and shock.
Microorganism: a small/ microscopic organism. This can not be seen at the naked eye.

Descriptors Used for Literature Search:

Hygiene hypothesis
Hygiene hypothesis in allergies
Allergy development

References
Facts and statistics. (n.d.). Retrieved from foodallergy.org website:
https://www.foodallergy.org/facts-and-stats
Stein, K. (2009). Are food allergies on the rise, or is it misdiagnosis? Retrieved from
http://www.andjrnl.org/article/S0002-8223(09)01608-3/fulltext?mobileUi=0
Why is allergy increasing? (2015, September). Retrieved October 18, 2016, from allergyuk.org
website: https://www.allergyuk.org/why-is-allergy-increasing/why-is-allergy-increasing
Ben-Ami Shor, D., Harel, M., Eliakim, R. et al. Clinic Rev Allerg Immunol (2013) 45: 211.
doi:10.1007/s12016-012-8352-9
Hadley, C. (2006). EMBO reports (Vol. 7). http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/sj.embor.7400846