Achoo!

Why do certain things make us sneezy or itchy?

Your immune system is responsible for finding and getting rid of harmful substances that enter your body. Allergies are caused by allergens, or something that makes your immune system go into overdrive. Allergens can be different for everyone—that’s why you might have a friend who is allergic to peanuts while you are not.

When your immune system encounters an allergen, it makes a protein called immunoglobulin (uh-myoo-no-GLAH-byuh-lun) E antibodies, which fight off harmful substances. Immunoglobulin E signals your body to get rid of the allergen. These signals cause your body to release chemicals called histamines (HIH-stuh-meens) that trigger allergy symptoms like itching, sneezing, watery eyes, a stuffy nose, and even swelling.

Before Adam and Eve disobeyed God, their bodies worked perfectly, and their environment wasn’t harmful. But because our world is now broken by sin, sometimes we get a little sneezy!

Our bodies sometimes react too strongly (overact) to allergens, making us feel awful. But God has allowed humans to develop medicines call antihistamines. Anti means “against,” so these medicines work against the overacting histamine chemicals that make you sneeze, itch, and swell. What a relief!