A report released last month by the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics has revealed that the number of kids with food allergies has soared over 18 percent over the last decade. Four in ten U.S. kids under age 18 now suffer food allergies, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

According to reports presented and discussed at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology’s annual meeting in Seattle, there has been an increase in all allergies, including asthma, hay fever, eczema. One possible factor that contributes to this increase may be the so-called “hygiene hypothesis,” that states that a lack of early childhood exposure to infectious agents and parasites increases susceptibility to allergic diseases. The immune system doesn’t have to fight as many infections, so it can become hyperactive. Researchers observed that hay fever and eczema, both allergic diseases, were less common in children from larger families, which were presumably exposed to more infectious agents from their siblings. Studies have shown that various immunological and autoimmune diseases are much less common in the developing world than the industrialized world.

Other factors that contribute to the rise in allergies include eating more highly allergic foods such as milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat. These types of food account for 90 percent of all food allergies.

The number of children with asthma has more than doubled since the 1980s. According to the CDC estimates, about 20 million Americans have asthma, including 9 million children. Asthma is a chronic disease involving the respiratory system in which the airways occasionally constrict, become inflamed, and are lined with excessive amounts of mucus, often as a response to one or more triggers, such as exposure to an environmental stimulant (e.g. an allergen, environmental tobacco smoke, cold or warm air, perfume, pet dander, moist air) or even emotional stress.

Asthma can be a life-threatening disease if not properly managed. Although there is no cure, medication can help control the disease and relieve pressure in the airways during an asthmatic episode.

A new research presented at the meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology has shown that antireflux medications administered for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) can sometimes have positive effects on asthma symptoms as well. Children with persistent asthma and GERD who took anti-reflux medication required less asthma medication and experienced an improvement in lung function.

Studies have shown that long-term use of corticosteroids, the most commonly prescribed medications for asthma, may be associated with a number of undesirable side-effects, such as cataracts, bone loss, and immune-system suppression.

Children with food allergies are two to four times more likely to have asthma or other allergies, compared to those without allergies. Also, smoking has been found to be a risk factor for asthma. Studies have shown that exposure to passive smoke at home reduces the benefits of inhaled corticosteroids and may delay recovery from an acute asthmatic attack.