When I was a medical student at International Medical University (IMU) more than a decade ago, childhood allergies were still considered a rare and mostly mild condition. However, now, as a Clinical Allergist - Clinical Immunologist working in Johor Bahru, I have witnessed a dramatic increase in the number of young patients with chronic allergic diseases. More notably, most of the cases come from developed urban areas - where modern life inadvertently brings many stimulating factors and risks that parents do not realize.

As we age, our bodies undergo numerous physiological changes, and one of the most significant—and often overlooked—is the gradual decline of the immune system. This process, known as immunosenescence, affects how the body defends itself against infections, responds to vaccines, and recovers from illness.