Why Are Some Allergies So Common?
- Science Holic
- Aug 6
- 2 min read
Author: Elaine Guo
Editor: Elizabeth Li
Artist: Helen Gong
Allergies are an overreaction of your immune system to a typically harmless foreign substance. When allergens enter the body, the immune system produces antibodies to eliminate them, which can cause symptoms. These symptoms can range from minor issues to life-threatening effects. Symptoms include hives, sneezing, itchiness, swelling, watery eyes, and difficulty breathing. The different symptoms and severity usually depend on the type of allergies you have and how you are exposed to them. Your allergic reactions will continue as long as you are exposed to the allergen. You can have an allergy to almost anything. Some of the most common ones are bee stings, pets, pollen, foods, medication, etc. There are risk factors for developing allergies, and genetics play a big role in that. If you have a biological parent with allergies, you are most likely to develop them. Conditions like eczema or asthma can also increase your risk of having an allergy. Depending on the allergy, it can be annoying or life-threatening, so much so that you have to change your lifestyle to avoid allergic reactions.
Certain allergies are becoming more common, and there are several factors that can contribute to this. One of these factors is hygiene. The living conditions in the world are becoming more sanitary and clean because of technology and the fear of diseases. There is less exposure of germs to kids, which can train their immune system to differentiate between harmful and harmless irritants. Germs have components of endotoxin that stimulate immune response and decrease allergic inflammation. Certain medications can also be the cause of developing allergies. Early antibiotic use can change the bacterial flora, which impacts the development of certain allergic diseases such as asthma. Tylenol has also been seen to increase the risk of developing allergies. Additionally, food allergies are rising due to late exposure. Exposing infants to common food allergens like peanuts as early as possible can help reduce the risk of developing that allergy.
You can’t really avoid developing allergies, but it is possible to manage and reduce symptoms or the risk of a reaction. If you think you have an allergy, you should go to the doctor to get testing done. They are able to diagnose allergies with a blood test or skin test. Depending on the allergy, your doctor can recommend a food challenge test or a patch test to look for reactions on your skin. When you are diagnosed with an allergy, there are treatment options. Treatment options include antihistamines, steroid nasal spray, or allergy immunotherapy, like allergy shots. If your allergy can cause a severe reaction, then it is recommended to carry an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen). Allergies can change as you age, or you can develop new allergies as you get older, so treatment options may change.
Citations:
Cleveland Clinic. “Allergies: Symptoms, Reaction, Treatment & Management.” Cleveland
Clinic, 21 Dec. 2022, my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/8610-allergies. Accessed 2
July 2025.
Kilday, Colleen. “Why Allergies Are on the Rise.” Northwell.edu, Northwell Health, 3 June
“Prevalence of Allergies and Asthma | AAAAI.” Aaaai.org, 2021, www.aaaai.org/Tools-for-
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