先看看美國紅十字會提供的資料,
As many as 15 million people have food allergies。An estimated 9 million, or 4%, of adults have food allergies。Nearly 6 million or 8% of children have food allergies with young children affected most. Boys appear to develop food allergies more than girls. Boys appear to develop food allergies more than girls.
Food Allergies are on the Rise
• The prevalence of food allergies and associated anaphylaxis appears to be on the rise. 6
o In 2008, the CDC reported an 18 percent increase in food allergy among children between
1997 and 2007. According to a study released in 2013 by the Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention, food allergies among children increased approximately 50% between 1997
and 2011 。
食物過敏不僅發病率高,而且增加速度快!不得不使人關心。
有網友認為呼吸道過敏比以前有所降低是個好消息。事實是否是如此?再看看CDC的另一段文字:
Hispanic children had a lower prevalence of food allergy, skin allergy, and respiratory allergy compared with children of other race
Non-Hispanic black children were more likely to have skin allergies and les likely to have respiratory allergies compared with non Hispanic white children.
• Food and respiratory allergy prevalence increased with income level. Children with family income equal toor greater than 200% of the
poverty level had the highest prevalence rates. More than one-third of children with food allergies have asthma, and around eight percent of kids with asthma have food allergies.
好了,不論紅十字會,或者CDC都沒有提到近來呼吸道過敏有明顯的降低,而是說有種族差異及貧富差異。而且微妙的是富人的呼吸道過敏好似越富,發病率越高。我個人認為肥胖者容易發生哮喘早為醫生所熟知。因此我不認為在美國有關過敏症問題,有什麽值得興奮的事情。即使呼吸道過敏真的減少了,但是食物過敏者的後果也會有鼻堵,哮喘等發生。而且比例很高。所以不能用單一指標來評價美國的過敏問題。對美國來說。任何過敏,都應該使其降低。都要有關部門的重視。而且美國官方說得很清楚,當空氣質量指數超過50時,對有特殊過敏者要特別注意。怎麼能無動於衷呢?
順便說一句。美國新移民,幾乎有近一半在到美國3-5年內會有花粉過敏,其表現基本上是鼻子閉塞。流眼淚。很像感冒,但不發燒。應屬於呼吸道過敏。如果5-6年後沒有花粉過敏,那就大概不會再發生花粉過敏了。