The Nose Knows - Allergies
Posted by Rebecca Altherr on April 20, 2007
Q: I recently implemented the "Nose Knows" unit in a Before/After School program. The students enjoyed the activity, but were left with two questions that I could not answer. Are allergies genetic? How do allergies form?
We would love to receive an answer! Thank you!
State: New York
A: Good to hear from you Rebecca and receive your students' questions. I'm no allergist, but I do have some information that I believe is correct. Keep in mind that new information is being learned about allergies all the time so new discoveries may discount some of what I share.
Although it's not a sure thing, there is a tendency for people to inherit allergies, so yes, one can inherit an allergy.
An allergic response is a normal body-defense to a foreign substance. When we're bitten by a mosquito, the spot swells and itches - this is our response to a foreign protein in the mosquito's saliva. When we're exposed to some new virus, for example, we may develop a fever that makes it hard for the virus to live in our bodies, and our immune system not only mounts an attack but also "remembers" the virus and builds defenses against it so that the next time we encounter it, we can attack it before it makes us sick. An allergy, however, although the same kind of response - remembering a foreign substance and responding with swollen breathing passages or itching or other symptoms - is often taken to a level that's more harmful than helpful.
If one has never been exposed to peanuts, for example, you will not develop a peanut allergy; an allergic response is a response to an "allergen", or allergy-promoting substance. On that first exposure, one doesn't respond with an allergy at all. But when you're exposed a second time, if your body "remembers" that first exposure and built defenses against it, and you're inclined toward allergies, you MAY have an allergic reaction. Some allergies build over time, with repeated exposures to a point where they may even be deadly.
It's believed by some that some allergies may be an immune system "looking for something to fight." If our lives are too clean, it may be that our immune system is more likely to overreact to any problems that do come its way, especially if we have an allergic tendency to start with. Families with pets may be less likely to develop allergies, perhaps because pets bring extra germs into the house. Doctors often caution against using antibacterial soap instead of plain soap, because it turns out that too clean can be a problem. So, although being "too clean" may not be such a good thing afterall this probably won't be a good argument to use the next time your parents want you to wash up before dinner!
Here are a couple of web sites that may help too:
Thanks for asking.
John Wiessinger ( April 23, 2007)