Allergies: Prevention

An allergy is a public health problem, because of its frequency in the population (about 1 in 3).

Prevention is primarily by the patient, who must avoid contact with allergens.

To prevent food allergies, food labeling from industry is mandatory. The presence of potentially allergenic foods should be mentioned.

Fight allergens

Avoidance of allergens is the first step of treatment and is also the only way to prevent the development of allergies. It consists in identifying the causative allergens and avoid them as much as possible: regular dusting the house, eviction of cats and dogs, not consumption of allergenic foods ...

For mites, hygiene measures, such as regular vacuum the house, ventilation, washing stuffed animals and bedding, removing carpets, use dust mite covers ... proven.

The eviction of pet hair is sometimes difficult by the fact of an individual's psychological attachment to a pet (cat or dog). It is advisable to get away and avoid these animals at best, deny them access to the interior of the house.

The tree pollen are sometimes unavoidable because they are found in the atmosphere. People with allergies should be especially careful when walking in the countryside to avoid the massive exposure.

Avoidance of food allergens should be well established by a dietician with complementary nutritional intake if necessary. However, the food allergen may be present in small amounts in various processed foods, which means that various factors come into play: a good read labels of food composition for purchases, a good knowledge of food prepared outside the home so ...

In fact, the allergic person must know the precise or foods to which it is sensitive.

Regulation

In 2002, the French Agency for Food Safety has proposed preventive measures at various levels including at the level of regulation (the labeling of products are inadequate and sometimes not applied measures requiring monitoring and control).

At the food industry, companies are sensitized to improve the labeling system (precise list of major allergens encountered in avoiding the use of class names) and to improve the hygiene and security policy of foods limiting the use of allergens in food products.

According to European regulations, there are 12 foods that should be included on the labels must when present in a product, even at trace.

Gluten-containing cereals: wheat, rye, spelled, kamut and products based on these cereals.

Crustaceans and shellfish products.

Eggs and egg products.

Fish and fish products.

Peanuts and peanut products.

Milk and milk-based products.

Soy and soy products.

Nuts: almonds, hazelnuts, cashews, pecans, Brazil nuts, pistachios, macadamia nuts and products made from these fruits.

Celery and celery products.

Mustard and mustard products.

Sesame seeds and sesame products.

Sulphur dioxide and sulphites at concentrations above 10 mg / kg or mg / l as SO2.

2 products have been added to this list at the end of 2006: lupine and molluscs.

This list is updated periodically based on new studies and research.

In the context of allergy to cow's milk proteins in infants, the cross-reactivity with proteins of goat or sheep is possible.

In the case of school-age children with food allergies, information must be given by parents to principals and managers of the restoration on the risk of developing food allergy. There is also an official protocol support: individual monitoring must be established with the child both in the diet on the course of their treatment.

Latex is mainly used in professional equipment and domestic environments. Preventive strategies are being implemented including the use of powder-free gloves with low allergenicity (talcs promote the expansion of synthetic material into the atmosphere). This strategy also involves a good ventilation and strict hygienic system. There are also more and more often vinyl gloves that have no allergy risk.

In addition to allergen avoidance and agents that promote the development of allergies, the eviction of smoking (active and passive) is an important preventive measure in the development of allergies.