Health Magazine: Why do I suddenly have allergies?
UC allergist says genetics and environment play a role in allergies
A journalist from Heath spoke with Dr. Jonathan Bernstein, professor in UC Department of Internal Medicine, about the supposedly sudden appearance of allergies in some individuals despite decades of not being bothered with a condition that affects more than 50 million Americans, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation.
Technically speaking, you aren’t experiencing a new allergy, Bernstein told Health. It's more likely that you've had the allergy for a while, but you're only now experiencing symptoms. So, what gives? There's a process that can occur in the body called sensitization, Dr. Bernstein explains where your body produces an antibody after having contact with an allergen, but you don’t experience symptoms. Eventually, those antibodies are activated, albeit it could take some time.
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