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Megacities trigger allergies in childhood
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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A city, especially a large one with a large population, increases the likelihood of developing allergies in a child, a group of researchers from Johns Hopkins University recently came to the conclusion. In megacities, children suffer from allergies to peanuts and shellfish twice as often as children living outside the city or in small towns. Experts suggest that the main problem of cities is the regular use of cleaning and disinfecting agents, which is why children's immune systems develop poorly, especially to common microorganisms. Scientists also believe that taking antibiotics and being born by Caesarean section may not have a positive effect on the development of a child's immunity.
Experts have calculated that every tenth city child suffers from food allergies, but in reality there may be many more children prone to allergies.
During their research, the specialists conducted long-term observation of more than 500 children who were born and lived in New York, Baltimore, St. Louis, and Boston.
Scientists monitored the development of children during the first five years of life, taking into account the children's diet and general health.
More than 50% of the experiment participants had an increased sensitivity to milk, eggs, and peanuts, and 10% suffered from a full-fledged allergy.
In addition, during their work, the group of researchers noted the fact that with a high concentration of endotoxin in the body, which is produced by some types of bacteria, the child's condition improved significantly.
More and more people suffer from allergies lately, in particular, many are susceptible to seasonal allergies. The modern pharmaceutical market offers a huge number of products that help get rid of allergy symptoms. Recently, another antihistamine drug has become available, which contains antiallergic and anti-inflammatory components.
The new drug is produced in the form of a medicinal mixture of fruit juices (lemon, pineapple, apple) and ginger. The medicinal cocktail contains a large amount of vitamin C, which helps reduce allergy symptoms and the body's immune response to the irritant. Experts recommend taking the medicinal mixture every morning during periods of exacerbation of the allergic reaction (from March to September, during the flowering of grasses and allergen plants). In severe cases, the mixture can be drunk throughout the day, in some cases it is recommended to start taking it before the flowering season of allergen plants begins.
Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant that helps normalize the immune system. As a result, such a vitamin mixture helps the body not only remove allergy symptoms, but also overcome them.
You can prepare a similar mixture yourself, since all the components of the medicinal cocktail can be purchased in the store (it is advisable to use freshly squeezed fruit juices).
In folk medicine, there are many ways to cope with ailments during the period of seasonal allergies. The most common recipes are honey (in the morning on an empty stomach), tea with chamomile and lemon oil, a decoction of grapefruit with lemon juice. Mint tea helps to remove nasal congestion. However, food allergies are often observed with seasonal allergies, so self-treatment can only worsen the condition.
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