New symptoms? You might have developed adult allergies

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. – If you’ve made it through the summer without sneezing, itchy eyes or a runny nose, consider yourself lucky, because seasonal allergies can develop at any age.

Allergies develop when external particles, such as tree and grass pollen, enter the body. The body will then release histamines telling the immune system to respond to an external threat, creating headaches, sore throats, coughing and sneezing among other symptoms.

Doctors say allergies often begin in childhood as the immune system learns to respond to what is thought to be a threat. But for some people, those reactions can be delayed and don’t appear until later in life, meaning allergy symptoms can seem to come out of nowhere.

Health experts say changes such as moving to a new environment, hormonal shifts, especially in women, or natural changes to the immune system as we age can all contribute to developing new allergies.

“So if you’re thinking about immunity, there are various factors ranging from genetic factors to mutations to how your immunity has learned from childhood, like what is an allergen, what is not and allergen. So like for a baby, someone less than a year older, they might not recognize their body, might not recognize this as an allergen. As we grow up, as we grow older, immunity reacts in different ways. As I said, genetic factors, environmental factors and some mutations,” said Dr. Suman Shekar with Med Center.

For adults experiencing allergies for the first time, the symptoms can be frustrating. Health experts recommend scheduling a visit with your primary care provider if you begin to notice persistent allergy symptoms.

But there is a silver lining, according to the Cleveland Clinic, is that some allergies can become less severe with age, and in some cases, may even disappear entirely.