It’s common for people in the US to have seasonal allergies; in 2021, 81 million peo ple were diagnosed with hay fever, showing that 19% of kids were affected by the spring season miseries. But don’t worry, these symptoms aren’t contagious. Even though the kid sitting next to you in class might he sneezing every two minutes, those that not impacted by hay fever are safe.
But what causes seasonal allergies? Why do some get them in the spring? Some in the summer? And some in the fall? Well, the answer to all your burning questions is: Pollen.
Pollen is an allergen that, when absorbed into the human body, causes the immune system to release chemicals into the blood stream to defend against the invader. This is why only some people are affected by hay fever, because not every body considers pollen to be an enemy. Also, there are dif ferent types of pollen; in spring, the most prominent pollen is tree pollen. In sum mer it’s grass pollen, and in fall it’s weed pollen. So maybe the sneezing kid sit ting next to you is suffering now, but by the summer it might be you with a runny nose.
So is it possible to cure allergies? Or even just relieve them? One of Minnetonka’s very own health teachers, Joshua Stephan, knows that they can be.
