IN WHAT AGE MOST ALLERGIES ARE APPEAR?
Although most allergies first appear in childhood, particularly the acute types of food allergy, there are a few adults who suddenly develop an allergy for no obvious reason. Dr AW. Frankland, formerly of St Mary’s Hospital in London, describes the case of a woman of 50 who suddenly became allergic to sesame seeds, which she had previously eaten without difficulty. One day while eating a biscuit containing sesame, her mouth and throat began to tingle, and urticaria (nettle-rash) developed on her skin. These symptoms disappeared after an hour. When she ate another such biscuit two weeks later the reaction was far more severe. Her lips and eyelids swelled, urticaria developed all over her body, and she collapsed unconscious on the floor. Only prompt medical attention saved her life. This is an unusual, but not an isolated case, and is difficult to explain in terms of what we now know about allergies as inherited disorders.
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