Frequently Asked Questions About Allergy

Is allergy genetic? 

If one of the parents is allergic, the probability of encountering an allergic disease in the child is 40 percent, while this rate rises to 70 percent in the case where both parents are allergic. Parents with an allergic constitution should pay attention to not smoking in the house during pregnancy and after birth, to apply a diet free of allergenic foods to the mother during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and to ensure that the baby sucks breast milk.  It will be beneficial to apply the precautions described in the section on prevention above, carefully from birth, and avoid contact with environmental allergens. 

Can different allergies develop over time?

The duration of sensitization to allergens is not certain, it can take days, months or years. Therefore, you may notice that you develop an allergy over time to something you think you are not allergic to. Some people stay at the sensitization phase, never fully develop allergic sensitization despite feeling some symptoms.

Will it last a lifetime?

Allergic diseases that are not properly treated can become chronic and more difficult to treat. Because the tissue affected by the allergy is restructured in a different way. And consequently, diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, chronic urticaria and sinusitis can develop.
 

Does technology trigger allergies? 

The frequency of allergic diseases is increasing in parallel with the development of technology. Due to reasons such as people living collectively in closed and narrow spaces, returning from working in the open field to working in the office, carpet flooring, the increase in the care of cats, dogs, birds, etc. in the house, the increase in smoking habits, the consumption of ready-made foods containing additives, the increasing number of medications and chemicals that enter our lives and air pollution, allergic diseases are more common in industrialized regions and urban areas than in rural areas.

Does being too hygienic trigger allergies? 

As a result of the fact that children living in cities and growing up in more hygienic environments are less exposed to microbes, so the balance of the defense system is disturbed and the development of allergic diseases is facilitated. Children who grow up in very clean environments, have very few infections and are given antibiotics very often, are more prone to allergies because they do not encounter enough microbes. On the other hand, encountering certain microbes or parasites more frequently of children living in rural areas, attending nursery or kindergarten, or within the families with large numbers of children, maintain the balance in the immune system better, and as a result, allergic diseases are less common in these children. 

Why has allergies been on the rise in recent years? 

•    We can count, Increase in the rate of being hygienic 
•    Increase in air pollution
•    Exposure to ultraviolet rays as a result of the depletion of the ozone layer 
•    Smoking 
•    Additives in food 
•    Sudden weather changes
•    Medicines and cosmetic products
•    Stress
•    Decreased vegetation 
•    Residence in poorly ventilated buildings with low sun exposure, carpeted throughout.

What are the most allergenic foods?

Since foods are mostly in the form of a mixture of more than one substance, it is not easy to understand which substance in the food causes allergies. Among the nutrients, the substances that cause allergies are usually in the protein structure. Foods that often cause allergies in humans are; Cow's milk, eggs, fish and shellfish, shelled and oily nuts (such as nuts and hazelnuts), grains, meats, fruits, vegetables and legumes, spices and seasonings, chocolate, honey and some beverages. Some of these foods cause allergies more often than others. For example, milk and eggs cause allergic reactions more often than fruits and vegetables. Also, some of these foods cause more serious reactions than others (like peanuts and tree nuts).