Allergies: Genetics... Nothing to be Sneezed at
For most, the first hints of summer mean it’s time to clean the barbeques, cry at the cost of suntan lotion and stock up the freezer with ice cream. However, for others, it means the start of itchy eyes, incessant sneezing, and scratchy throats. That’s right, its hay fever season. But why isn’t everyone affected? The answer may lie in genetics. Hay fever is just one of several in a family of allergic conditions. Other members include asthma, eczema, and food allergies, and with 50% of children in the UK suffering from at least one of those conditions, allergies are the most common chronic disease in Europe. Allergies themselves are caused when the body mistakes a harmless substance for a harmful one, triggering an immune response, with symptoms ranging from mild to life threatening. What is interesting, though, is that it appears that allergies can be passed through families. Indeed, when one parent experiences allergies, there is a 50% chance that their child will have allergies t...