An allergy is an abnormal reaction of our immune system to something. An interesting aspect of allergies is that the immune system of different persons reacts differently to the same substance. One person may react normally to a substance while the other could become allergic to it. As soon as the body perceives danger due to the presence of a substance, its immune system releases antibodies for its protection. These antibodies cause a reaction by which the cells are affected to release histamine. This histamine is responsible for the symptoms of an allergy felt by an individual. You must have surely felt symptoms like itchiness, soreness on the skin, nose, throat, eyes, lungs or intestines whenever you had contracted an allergy. This process is repeated on subsequent contraction of the same allergen.

Another strange thing about allergies is that they are never predictable. They might disappear for no apparent reason and reappear when one least expects them to. One may be allergic to pollen for years on end and then suddenly find that it does not affect one at all. This does not mean that one has got rid of it. On the contrary, it is likely to attack silently and suddenly.

The tendency to be allergy prone is often heriditary. We will not necessarily develop the same allergies as our parents but will be have a predisposition to get them. Lots of children seem to suffer from allergies, but thankfully many of these disappear when they grow up.

Many medicines are available to fight allergies. The doctor only can prescribe medicines for some though most of them could be bought over the counter from a drugstore.

The most logical way to prevent an allergy off course is to avoid the allergen. This is not always easy. First of all the allergen has to be detected. If it is a rarely used product it is easy. If it is an essential or unavoidable thing like pollen, it becomes very difficult. One cannot keep the windows closed all the time or avoid the outdoors. Sometimes a family is even forced to abandon or give away a pet, as a family member is allergic to it.