A federal report released last week found that while many more children and adults are reporting food allergies, no clear agreement exists on what a food allergy is or how to test for one. An article in Pediatrics in November 2009, for example, indicated that doctor visits for food allergies among children tripled from 1993 to 2006. What accounts for this increase in reported incidence of allergies: doctors making overly broad diagnoses, unreliable tests or anxious parents? What are some reasons or theories why more people now appear to be affected than in the past?. . read more.
Monday, May 17, 2010
I Can’t Eat That. I’m Allergic.
When Robert Aronowitz sees friends he grew up with, he braces himself for their usual greeting. “Hey, Snot Nose. How are you doing?” Yes, “Snot Nose” was his nickname then, and even now, his friends like to remind him of it. “I was swept up twice a week from the streets of Brooklyn for allergy shots,” said Dr. Aronwwitz, a professor of history and sociology of science. Did they help? Did he even have allergies? “Who knows?” Dr. Aronowitz said. But that experience helps him understand the tendency today to blame allergies for tiredness, upset stomach, or any rash or illness. Food allergies are real and can be life-threatening. It would be folly to dismiss them. . read more.
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