6 Minute English: Allergies

Hosts

• Beth
• Neil

Main Topic: Allergies

• Allergies occur when certain foods or materials make you feel sick.
• Beth's Allergy: Allergic to dairy (can't have milk, cheese, butter).
• Neil's Allergy: Intolerance to dairy (not an allergy), allergic to pollen (hay fever).

Increasing Rates of Allergies

• Scientific evidence suggests more people are developing allergies.
• Focus on what it’s like to live with allergies and global prevalence.

Common Allergies

• Trivia Question: Most common allergy in the world?
  • Options: a) Peanuts, b) Pollen, c) Dairy
  • Beth guesses pollen.
  • Answer revealed at end: Pollen is the most common.

Case Study: Mia Silverman

• Runs social media account "Allergies with Mia."
• Has over 50 allergies (e.g., all nuts, most fish except cooked tuna and cod).
• Challenges:
  • Requires planning for dining out (calling restaurants ahead).
  • Ensures restaurants can accommodate allergies.
  • Avoids being a burden to friends while socializing.
  • Uses protocols to prevent allergen contamination.

Global Allergy Rates

• Australia known as the "allergy capital of the world."
  • High prevalence of allergies, especially food allergies, in infants.
  • Data shows: ~10% of infants have allergies, decreases to 6% by age 6, 3% in adulthood.

Allergy Management

• Possible solutions:
  • Vitamin D: May help reduce allergies in babies.
  • Immunotherapy: Gradually exposes children to allergens to build tolerance.

Vocabulary Recap

• Call ahead of time: Phone before visiting a place.
• Accommodate: To provide what someone needs.
• Protocols: Rules to ensure proper processes.
• Capital of the world: Known for a particular feature.
• Drop off: Decrease in numbers.
• Or so: Used in informal speech to estimate numbers.

Conclusion

• Recap of episode vocabulary and concepts.
• Encouragement to take an interactive quiz on their website.

Additional Resources

• Visit BBC Learning English for more learning materials.