Allergies, Parasites and the Hygiene Hypothesis The objective of this study is to explain the relationship between allergies emergence due to parasites based on the hygiene hypothesis and the current information stating how valid this hypothesis is. Towards this end, this study will conduct a brief but intensive review of literature in this area of inquiry. The work of Liu and Leung (2006) report that the hygiene hypothesis has a long history. Categories of allergy and asthma are stated to include specific categories as follows: (1) infections; (2) microbial components; (3) gastrointestinal colonization; (4) soil microbiota; and (5) forces that reduce microbial burden. (Liu and Leung, 2006, p.1063) Stated as fundamental to the hypothesis is "that the microbial exposure of interest can potentially cause both healthful and harmful outcomes." (Ibid, 2006, p.1063) Reported is that this dual way of viewing this is in defiance of the "simplistic tendency to view the relationship as either one way or the other." (Ibid, 2006, p.1063) Reported as the multidimensional determinants of health or disease outcomes in regards to microbial exposures include the following differentiations; (1) microbes or their components; (2) disease phenotypes; (3) elements of time; (4) dosage and exposure combinations; (5) contributions of genetics; and (6) exposure routes. (Ibid, 2006, p.1064) Maizels (2005) reports that evidence has been increasing that "helminth infections can protect the host against Th2-mediated allergic pathologies, even though helminthes themselves are strong Th2 inducers." (p.656) Allergies are reported as being traditionally held as "Th2-mediated inflammatory diseases, involving in the case of allergic asthma, eositophil infiltration into the airway epithelium, the release of long-lasting inflammatory mediators, the elaboration of goblet cells and their production of secretory mucitis, and incremental tissue damage and remodeling which causes longer-term compromise of airway function." (Ibid, 2005, p.656) Therapies that were based on a switching of the "allergen-specific response towards a Th-1 phenotype have met with some success in murine models, but less so in humans." (Ibid, 2005,...
656) Interesting is that the Th-1 response can also result in inflammation of the airway. It is the opinion of Maizels that the human and animal data model indicates that Tseg cells "are activated in helminth infection and that cells of a similar phenotype can actively suppress airway allergic inflammation…" (Ibid, 2005, p. 656) The work of Schaub, Lauener, and Mutius (2006) reports that there has been a great deal of attention paid to the "advancement of one field in allergy research that investigates the potential link between exposures to microbial sources and the development of allergic diseases." (Ibid, 2006, p. 969) One example stated is that "urticaria is an easily recognizable skin condition, but the variety of factors eliciting these appearances range from infectious stimuli to allergic mechanisms to neoplastic illnesses." (Ibid, 2006, p.969) Bach (2002) states that it is a paradox that infectious agents "…can also suppress allergic and autoimmune disorders." (p.911) It is reported as reasonable to assume "that not a single cause but many will underlie the clinical manifestation." (Schaub, Lauener, and Mutius, 2006, p.969) It is held that "the increased exposure to viruses in a child's environment might foster a milder form of wheezing by suppressing the atopic component." (Ibid, 2006, p.969) This idea is given further validity by studies that investigated the effect of "day care and rhinitis exposure early in life which all showed a protection against atopy in the exposed children." (Ibid, 200, p.971) The work of Okada, Kuhn, Felett and Bach (2005) reports on the hygiene hypothesis for autoimmune and allergic diseases stating that according to the hygiene hypothesis "the decreasing incidence of infections in western countries and more recently in developing countries is at the origin of the increasing incidence of both autoimmune and allergic diseases." (p.1) The hygiene hypothesis is based upon epidemiological data, particularly migration studies that show that individuals migrating from low-incidence to a high-incidence country acquire immune disorders with a high incidence of the first generation." (Ibid, 2005, p.1) However, there is no causal link…
Hygiene as a pivotal method of preventing infection in a health care setting Hand Hygiene as a Pivotal Method of Preventing Infection in a Healthcare Setting Carpetti, G.M., Sandri, F., Trridapallli, E., Galleti, S., Petracci, E., & Faldella, G. (2007). Nosocomial infection in very low birth weight infants. American journal of infection control, 36(6), 430-435. To increase the chances of survival of VLBW infants, there are continued improvements in neo-natal management. However, the
Hygiene Proposal World Health Organization, (2007) estimates that more than 1.4 million people suffer form one disease to the other and HAI (Health care-associated infections) are the most important infections that occurs globally. In advanced countries, between 5% and 10% of patients acquire one or more infections within the hospitals environment while between 15 and 40% of patients-to-critical-care are estimated to be affected. In the United States, one out 136
Hygiene and the Theory of Planned Behavior Describe the theory and your rationale for selecting the theory Among healthcare subjects, hand hygiene falls under the theory of planned behavior. The act of engaging in proper hand-washing practices is of foundational importance to providing a safe, healthy and sanitary context for healthcare. However, according to the study by O'Boyle et al. (2001), many healthcare professionals simply do not comply with expectations in
Workplace Hygiene How Hygiene Factors in Job Context Affect Job Dissatisfaction Everybody has to work and most people identify significantly with their work. It is no secret that occupation is one of the singularly most important factors in most lives. When people are asked about themselves they will generally first talk about who they are in relation to their job, and then about other factors. The workplace then is one of the
Preventing Disease Through Improved Hygiene: Low-income children in the Washington D.C. schools According to a 2011 study published in the American Journal of Infectious Disease Control, simple acts of good hygiene can have a lasting impact upon childhood health and school attendance. This issue is particularly critical for low-income students, for whom attendance at school can have a significant impact upon their future development, given the stresses that exist at home and
Hygiene You Stink! What personal hygiene is and how you can get it Want to look, feel, and smell your best? Then you'll need to master the art of personal hygiene. When you take good care of your body, your friends will notice. You will look better, feel better, and smell better. Personal hygiene might sound like a bore, but it's actually a set of fun practices that should become second nature.
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