Quote Originally Posted by Chef View Post
I have often wondered about this. When I was at primary and secondary school I never heard of anyone with a nut allergy, asthma, ezcema (sp?) and only a rare case of hay fever during games in the height of summer. Now it seems that there are many more people around with these conditions.
I also think there's an element of over-diagnosis. Years ago only severe asthmatics were described as such and got what little treatment there was. Now, the slightest sniffle or wheeze gets bombarded with inhalers. I really doubt whether they are alsways necessary but they will boost the statistics for asthma.

Perhaps in my childhood, where I was allowed out to play in farmyards and country streams all day long and only had to be home for dusk, and how much fun I had had was judged by how dirty I was when I got home, people who could die from these allergies just died before I came into contact with them. Even so I don't remember coming into contact with anyone that had an allergy apart from occasional hayfever.
Happy days! A peck of dirt etc etc... Certainly hasn't done me any harm, no allergies and very resistant to stomach upsets etc. Just a bit of itching from the body lice. (Thinks, must try not to scratch if I ever get to dance with Gav.)

Not quite so happy for two people I remember from my school/ student days who died from asthma.

Just because we can do something doesn't always mean it is a good thing to do.
I agree. However, perhaps the stage we are at where some medical interventions seem to be of dubious benefit has to be gone through in order to build the fund of knowledge for the future.