Allergies are becoming a fairly common part of everyday life for most people. Many of us have experienced itchy eyes and a runny nose at certain times of the year due to pollen or pet dander. What is less well known is the underlying process in your body which causes these reactions to take place.

These symptoms we experience, coughing, sneezing, congestion, are the result of the body’s response to substances known as allergens. The body mistakenly identifies the intrusion of these substances as a threat and mobilizes whatever means possible to expel the allergen. The common symptoms are the outward effect of the body’s defensive behavior.

Allergies develop in the body after birth as a result of contact with an allergen, and not before. Allergies are somewhat hereditary, if both of your parents are allergic, you have a 60-80% chance of developing allergic reactions at some point in your life. They are in a sense a side effect of the inaccuracy of your immune system’s ability to classify a substance as safe or threatening.

The immune system cells in the human body are constantly on the lookout for viruses, bacteria, or toxins so that the body can dispose of them quickly and efficiently. Even the immune system makes mistakes, and it will choose sometimes to reject a substance regardless of its effect on the body.

So why is it that the immune system mistakes benign matter in the body for an emergency and what specifically triggers this reaction? Well, the body has set up a chemical messenger system that is capable of sounding the alarm in the event of a toxic intrusion.

This is a profoundly helpful and beneficial immune capability when it functions correctly. The chemical messenger which the body produces is called immunoglobulin E, and people who have powerful allergic reactions have built up an excess of immunoglobulin E against certain otherwise safe materials.

In the event of contact with a certain substance, the panic message gets sent as a false alarm, and the body’s cells receive the signal that a chemical defense must be carried out.

After the initial allergic reaction, our chemical alarm mechanism develops an immunological memory, building up an increased sensitivity to the allergen which causes overreactions to occur during exposure. Little is known about exactly why the body tends to do this, and why the cases of allergic reactions are increasing quickly.

Some doctors have hypothesized that it is the widespread use of anti-microbial soaps and the high level of cleanliness in modern societies. The causal factors for the development of this intolerance are difficult to ascertain, but there are certainly complex genetic factors at play as well as environmental concerns to take into consideration. With 50 million people worldwide suffering from allergic reactions to various substances, this growing ailment represents an important area in need of educated solutions to reduce the risk posed to public health.