Is cleanliness wiping out our immune system?
(Medical Xpress) -- Too much cleanliness has been linked to the alarming rise in auto-immune and allergic diseases in the Western world, says Professor Barbara Fazekas de St Groth from the Centenary...
View ArticleGastric bacterium Helicobacter pylori protects against asthma
Infection with the gastric bacterium Helicobacter pylori provides reliable protection against allergy-induced asthma, immunologists from the University of Zurich have demonstrated in an animal model...
View ArticlePrenatal pet exposure, delivery mode, race are key factors in early allergy risk
Prenatal pet exposure, a mother's delivery mode and race are influential factors in a child's risk of developing allergies by age 2, according to a Henry Ford Hospital study.
View ArticleGetting the dirt on immunity: Study shows early exposure to germs is a good...
(Medical Xpress) -- Previous human studies have suggested that early life exposure to microbes (i.e., germs) is an important determinant of adulthood sensitivity to allergic and autoimmune diseases...
View ArticleAllergy rises not down to being too clean, just losing touch with 'old friends'
A new scientific report out today from the International Scientific Forum on Home Hygiene (IFH) dismantles the myth that the epidemic rise in allergies in recent years has happened because we're living...
View ArticleSocioeconomic status linked to childhood peanut allergy
Peanut allergies are rising among American children and one reason might be due to economic status. According to a new study presented at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI)...
View ArticleWhy are asthma rates higher among children now than in the past?
(Medical Xpress)—Doug Brugge, a professor of public health and community medicine at Tufts, assesses the possible reasons.
View ArticleTriclosan in cosmetics and personal care products can increase allergy risk
Triclosan - an antibacterial chemical found in toothpaste and other products - can contribute to an increased risk of allergy development in children. This comes from the Norwegian Environment and...
View ArticleBabies born by C-section at risk of developing allergies, research says
For expectant moms who may contemplate the pros and cons of natural child birth or Caesarian section, a Henry Ford Hospital study suggests that C-section babies are susceptible to developing allergies...
View ArticleDid evolution give us inflammatory disease?
In new research published on March 21, 2013 in the online issue of The American Journal of Human Genetics, researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) demonstrate that some variants in our...
View ArticleBetter hygiene in wealthy nations may increase Alzheimer's risk
New research has found a "very significant" relationship between a nation's wealth and hygiene and the Alzheimer's "burden" on its population. High-income, highly industrialised countries with large...
View ArticleDoes too much hygiene cause diabetes?
The incidence of auto-immune diseases like type 1 diabetes and allergies has risen dramatically in developed countries over the past fifty years. The reasons for this trend are not fully understood but...
View ArticleVallo Tillman: The hygiene hypothesis is not yet a theory
A new study in Northern Europe is specifically designed to verify whether children need be in contact with pathogens in their early years to help them develop a strong immune system.
View ArticleSalmonella infection mitigates asthma
Researchers from Germany have identified the mechanism by which Salmonella infections can reduce the incidence of asthma in mice. The research, which appears ahead of print in the journal Infection and...
View ArticleCommon gut microbe might curb multiple sclerosis risk—at least in women
A common gut microbe might curb the risk of developing multiple sclerosis—at least in women—suggests the largest study of its kind published online in the Journal of Neurology Neurosurgery &...
View ArticleCould a dishwasher raise your child's allergy, asthma risk?
(HealthDay)—Hand washing dishes instead of using a machine to wash dishes may reduce children's risk of developing allergic conditions, such as asthma or eczema, according to a new study.
View ArticleFour gut bacteria decrease asthma risk in infants
New research by scientists at UBC and BC Children's Hospital finds that infants can be protected from getting asthma if they acquire four types of gut bacteria by three months of age. More than 300...
View ArticleIf being too clean makes us sick, why isn't getting dirty the solution?
Today rates of allergic, autoimmune and other inflammatory diseases are rising dramatically in Western societies. If that weren't bad enough, we are beginning to understand that many psychiatric...
View ArticleWhat our gut tells us about the 'hygiene hypothesis'
Over the past few decades, the healthcare community has observed an intriguing phenomenon: diseases related to the immune system—type 1 diabetes (T1D) and other autoimmune diseases, allergies, and the...
View ArticleIs it safe to wash my hands, doctor?
A battle is waging about how often and how carefully we should wash our hands. Many allergy experts say it is vital for our future health and that of our children to reduce hand washing and allow...
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