The prevalence of allergic diseases has increased over the past 25 years, especially in children and young adults, and now are much more common diseases such as rhinitis, asthma or atopic dermatitis.
It seems clear that the development of allergy is determined by the interaction between genetic predisposition and exposure to environmental factors.
For years we know that there is a genetic predisposition for “atopy”, and have even come to identify genes of allergy. Children with a family history of allergy in the first generation are more likely to develop allergic sensitization. When both parents have allergy problems, the risk that their descendants have is 60%, whereas if only one of them suffers from allergic disease, the risk is around 25%.
Exposure to allergens (or proteins that are allergic) is essential for the development of allergy, and both the age and the duration and intensity of exposure also influence the risk of sensitization. Once a patient has been sensitized to an allergen is more likely to become allergic to others.
In addition, certain environmental factors protect or promote the development of allergy in patients with genetic predisposition.
Among the proposed risk factors for developing allergic sensitization were included:
- Time of year of birth
- Exposure to dust mites
- Plants and urban trees
- Contamination
It is therefore of interest to identify those patients at risk of developing allergic sensitization in order to adopt preventive measures are often simple, cheap and very effective.
Tags: allergic, genetic predisposition, Medical Advices
