The relationship of food allergies and respiratory allergies in urban and rural chinese Children

Abstract

Food allergy is considered as the first step of the “allergic march”. It is frequently the first manifestation of allergies in children. It has been estimated that 1%–3% of the general population in the western world suffers from food allergies. The prevalence of food allergies has been reported to be more and more common in children and adults. As for other allergic disorders, food allergy is more common in urban and westernized countries. The manifestations can range from simple skin rash to life-threatening anaphylactic shock. The exact etiologies are largely unknown and the only preventive treatment is avoidance of causative food. However, accumulated evidence has revealed that food allergy is rather uncommon in the rural population. With the advance of molecular biology and understanding of the immunobiology of food allergies, improvement to standardized diagnostic methods can be made. When the genetic and environmental factors that lead to the development of food allergies are better understood, primary preventive strategies for this common condition can be developed.