Over 100 million people, and more than 30% of adults, suffer from some type of allergy in the United States, and that number is on the rise. But where are these allergies coming from? Do we inherit them, or do they result from environmental factors?
The answer involves a little of both, said Dr. Derek Chu, an allergy specialist at McMaster University in Ontario. Allergies occur when the immune system mistakes a harmless substance, such as pollen or a certain type of food, for a dangerous substance and attempts to get it out of the body. Once the body reacts this way toward an allergen, it will repeat the allergic response for every new exposure, unless there is a successful intervention.
