Allergy Season Is Here!

Spring has sprung and it is once again allergy season! You know what that means…stocking up on antihistamines and tissues to keep with you at home, the office and anywhere else you go. This year seems to be particularly nasty for allergy sufferers because of the warm winter. A warm winter like this one means that nature is budding a lot earlier than usual. It also means that ragweed is in abundance this year more than any other year. As an allergy sufferer myself, I'm sneezing at the mere thought of that.

Why do we get allergies? Well, as you’re eyes are puffing up, and you’re sniffling and sneezing into piles of tissues, just try to remember that they are a product of an overactive immune response – you body is trying to keep out potentially harmful bacteria in a big way. Allergies mean that your body is more ready to protect you than ever, even if it is just from a little bit of pollen. Research has recently shown that, although inconclusive, allergy sufferers and their overactive immune systems are more resistant to brain tumors than other people.

Brain tumors are extremely rare and only affect a small percentage of people, but one oncologist may have found a link between allergies and the development of brain tumor cells. The idea is that the immune response of this group of people is so heightened, that they are more resistant to foreign cells and bacteria, and it may keep certain types of brain tumors at bay.

So, the next time you’re spending more money on allergy drugs, tissues and eye drops, take comfort in the thought that your body is just protecting you the best way it knows how.