Dr Peterson. You've just published an article about allergies and the fact that they're on the rise. Yes, that's right. So. First of all, what kind of allergies are we talking about? Hayfever? Asthma? All allergies really. An allergy is a physical reaction to a substance. That reaction can be sneezing, an itching, sore eyes, feeling sick, a rash of some kind – like eczema – or breathing difficulties – like asthma. And are allergies on the rise? Oh yes. Absolutely. There's no doubt about that. When I was at school there was only one boy in the class who had an inhaler. Now – thirty years later – more than half the kids in my daughter's class have them. So, why the great increase? Is it our fault? Sometimes, yes. Either directly or indirectly. Our lifestyles have changed a lot, starting from birth. It's a well known fact that bottlefed babies are more likely to develop allergies than breastfed babies – yet fewer mothers breastfeed because they simply don't have the time or because of practicalities – like wanting to share the feeding with a partner. Then – when our children are toddlers we smother everything in disinfectant and destroy all traces of germs.