Why do people get allergies?

An allergy is any condition in which a person reacts in a hyper- sensitive or unusual manner to any substance or agent. The range of allergies is very broad and people may react to various foods, drugs, dusts, pollens, fabrics, plants, bacteria, animals, heat, sunlight and many other things. If a person develops asthma, it is usually the result of an allergy.

Whenever a foreign material invades the tissues, the body reacts to fight against it. The body produces certain materials called antibodies which combine with the foreign material and render it harmless. But should it enter the body a second time, the antibodies are torn away from the body tissues to attack the substance. This causes a chemical substance called histamine to be released, which in turn produce the disorders which are symptoms of an allergy.

Fact:
In spring and early summer some people suffer from an allergic reaction to certain plants and pollens. This is called hay fever and can give the symptoms of a heavy cold.