Developed countries face more health problems than one might at first think. Stress and pollution are obvious risks to wellbeing but allergies are becoming one of modern medicine’s greatest challenges.
In the past two decades the developed world has come to realise that too much cleanliness could be unhealthy.
The Hygiene Hypothesis was first proposed by David Strachan in 1989. It suggests that many allergies are caused by a lack of childhood exposure to germs that used to be in common in our environment but are now being scrubbed out with bleach.
Our bodies have been affected by such a rapid drop in microbial contact that, the hypothesis says, we have not had time to adapt genetically. The immune systems of newborn babies needs to be exposed to infective organisms in order to develop and function effectively. A drop in exposure levels is thought to have resulted in a dramatic increase in allergic disorders and autoimmune diseases in the developed world.
According to Assistant Professor of Epidemiology Tara Smith, “in a society obsessed with antibacterial hand soaps, disinfectants, and bottled water it is going to be quite a challenge trying to convince people that germs are not all that bad.”
Some allergies have a genetic component – but to what extent is the rising incidence a product of genetics or our modern lifestyle?
The Hygiene Hypothesis suggests the people of developed countries do not interact enough with harmless soil and water-dwelling organisms. The opposite is the case in the developing world, where people are less likely to become allergic or suffer from stress-related disorders.
A tendency towards larger families in poorer areas of the world might help children develop a stronger immune system as they are exposed to their siblings’ germs in addition to their own.
Image in the public domain
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