How Do Allergies Form?

Millions of people around the world suffer from allergies, the effects of which are varied and widespread. With this in mind, there are a number of factors involved in whether a person develops allergies are not.

Immune System

• Your immune system is constantly fighting off harmful substances like bacteria and viruses. Sometimes it can overreact to stimuli that is normally not harmful, such as milk, and produce a severe reaction that is meant to help your body ward off invaders.

Inherited Allergies

• The risk of developing allergies can be passed on from family member to family member. If your parents or even grandparents experienced allergies the chances of you developing allergies is increased, though they may not be the same allergies. This is most likely due to inheriting genes responsible for the immune system.

Time Frame

• Allergies can form at any time during a person's life. Repeated exposure to substances is a factor in developing an allergy, so there is a chance that an older person who is frequently exposed to a potential allergen can form an allergy to it.

Environment

• According to Sparkpeople.com, some scientists think the cleanliness of homes in industrialized nations is responsible for the high occurrence of allergies in these nations, as less developed countries report a far less incidence of allergies.

Prevention/Solution

• Exposing a child to allergens is one method of preventing them from developing allergies. This is a result of the immune system learning to properly react to said allergen, preventing an overreaction later in life to something it has seldom been exposed to. If a newborn child is breast fed exclusively for six months the chances of her developing food allergies later in life is greatly reduced.