Allergy: How and Why Do Allergies Develop?

Ever Wondered How You Develop An Allergy?

Allergies are becoming more and more common. In fact about thirty percent of people suffer from one or more allergies. Why? What exactly is an allergy anyway? And how do allergies develop?

Before we go much further, we need to define what an allergy is. A simple definition is: An allergic reaction (hypersensitivity reaction) is an inappropriate immune responses to a normally harmless substance.

This can be almost any substance natural or otherwise, for example pollens in the air may cause sneezing, runny eyes and/or nose and in severe cases an allergic response can actually result in a medical emergency and be potentially fatal.

So why do we get these allergies?

Normally, the immune system, which includes antibodies, white blood cells, mast cells, complement proteins, and other substances, defends the body against foreign substances known as antigens (substances that are antagonistic). However, in susceptible people, the immune system can overreact to certain antigens (called allergens), which are harmless in most people. The result is an allergic reaction (Merck, 2008).

Simply put, an allergic reaction is basically an over-reaction by your immune system to an otherwise benign substance.

Some people are allergic to only one substance, whilst others are allergic to many. So how do we become allergic to a substance that in the past we have not been allergic to?

To read the full article, view: Allergy: How & Why Do Allergies Develop?