By Andy Han ‘26

Humans have long since dominated the natural order—for better or for worse—through industrialization, domestication, and technological innovation. Nevertheless, among the unavoidable, such as death and disease, we face another common enemy that rears its ugly head every spring season: allergies.

We all know the feeling: runny nose, teary eyes, coughing, sneezing, and for some, even anaphylactic shock—the power of allergies is not to be underestimated. When asked about his experience with allergies, junior Nico Igarashi angrily stated that, “Every year, I get clapped by, like, a freaking flower.” It’s even rumored that in 3125 BC, the first Egyptian pharaoh, Menes, allergic to the venom of stinging insects, died after a singular bee sting.

But what causes these agonizing symptoms in the first place?

Upper school science teacher Katy Yan offered her enlightenment on the subject, beginning by explaining the functions of the body systems responsible for allergic reactions. “The human immune system has evolved to protect us against things that might do us harm…like bacteria or viruses, our immune system essentially identifies them as harmful as antigens,” said Yan.

According to Yan, allergic reactions are simply an overreactive immune system working to protect you from antigens. As part of the immune system’s arsenal, “It’s gonna launch histamines, which help recruit white blood cells to those sites of infection, to try to deal with that antigen or that foreign substance that’s potentially doing your body harm,” said Yan.

Essentially, allergies are inflammatory responses elicited by the immune system. They mimic how our body responds to foreign substances by physically expelling them through rather unpleasant means, such as vomiting if you catch a nasty stomach bug. Allergies are the same thing, working to expel antigens through sneezing, coughing, or watery eyes.

Out of the two methods the immune system uses to remove foreign substances, allergies count as the less extreme response of the two. A type one response would exterminate antigens, whereas a type two response would physically expel them from the body. Pathogens trigger the type one response, as using a type one approach for something like allergens “would be like using a nuclear bomb to deal with street crime,” says Ruslan Medzhitov, a Yale immunobiologist.

Among the prevailing hypotheses for allergy origins, many scientists argue the cause of the type two response can be attributed to the “worm theory.” Bianca Nakayama, an upper school science teacher, stated that “our immune system evolved with a selective pressure of dealing with parasitic worms.” So, given that our prehistoric ancestors had to deal with these common threats that are now largely absent in modern, industrialized societies, our immune system may misdirect its defense mechanisms due to similarities in the surface proteins of parasitic worms and common allergens.

Nevertheless, the type two response is still uncomfortable, although more mild-mannered than its counterpart. Allergy medicines, such as antihistamines (Benadryl, Claritin, Zyrtec), can help curb symptoms by blocking histamine receptors so allergic reactions are not triggered. The only exception is anaphylaxis, where a fatal overreaction occurs unless counteracted with an epinephrine injection.

Although these aren’t permanent solutions, recent studies show promising results for the future of allergy prevention. By mimicking honeybee stings and snakebites in mice, researchers discovered that mice exposed to a small dose of these venoms had a significantly higher survival rate when given a large dose, in contrast to the control sample that had only been given the larger dose.

Based on this experiment, researchers discovered that exposure to antigens can trigger a protective immune response in which the body memorizes the antigen and creates specific antibodies to help neutralize them in future encounters, otherwise known as adaptive immunity.

Ultimately, allergies are an unfortunate byproduct of an immune system designed to protect us—although sometimes too aggressively. While modern medicine offers ways to manage symptoms, research into adaptive immunity may one day provide a lasting solution. Until then, we remain at the mercy of detestable pollen, putrid pet dander, and the dreaded peanut, getting sucker-punched by our immune system every spring season.

The silent assailants of allergy season