Imagine eating a birthday cake with your friends, and suddenly, you begin to sneeze uncontrollably, your nose starts running, throat gets itchy, you feel congested, and in no time, everyone starts running around to get medical aid. If you notice a similar pattern of illness after being exposed to something, it is easy to reach the conclusion that these are symptoms of allergies.

Allergies are abnormal immune system reactions to things that are generally not harmful to you, like milk, cheese, pepper, peanuts, etc. The substance(s) that cause an allergic reaction in your body are known as allergens, and they vary from person to person. But what causes this immune reaction?

Our immune system is built to protect us from harmful organisms like viruses and bacteria. When these infectious microbes enter our body, our immune system, which consist of white blood cells, reacts and releases antibodies to destroy those unwanted guests, thus keeping us safe and healthy. But when an allergic person consumes an allergen, either by eating or inhaling, the immune system mistakenly believes that this substance is harmful to the person and attacks it the same way that it would have attacked an infectious bacterium.

This triggers the cell to produce chemicals such as histamine into the bloodstream to defend against them. It is the release of these chemicals that causes allergic symptoms like sneezing, runny nose, congestion, and itchy skin. So we have to ask: Why do some people get allergies and some don’t? Well there are multiple factors responsible or it. One primary reason is; if you are exposed to the allergen as a baby, you are less likely to develop allergies; this is because, during childhood, exposure to allergens allows our immune system to identify harmful substances and toughens up. But if you grow up in an extremely hygienic environment, your immune system will fail to develop correctly and can attack non harmful substances like peanut thus leading to allergic reactions.

Another factor could be hereditary. This means it can be passed down through your parent to you. However, just because a parent or sibling has allergies doesn’t mean you will definitely get them too. Remember that allergies could be dangerous and can lead to Anaphylaxis, which can cause severe swelling, low blood pressure, shortness of breath, extreme itchiness, etc.