• Question: Why do we get hay fever?

    Asked by Megaann17 to Andy, Dwaine, Natt, Priya, Tatiana on 23 Jun 2015. This question was also asked by 127heac39.
    • Photo: Natt Day

      Natt Day answered on 23 Jun 2015:

      Hi Megan,

      Hayfever is an allergy to pollen– and so works in the same way that allergies to certain types of animal or food do. It’s caused by your immune system reacting to a completely harmless particle– called an allergen– as if it were a particle that can cause disease. That means the immune system starts the process of trying to stop the allergen causing damage– which leads to the increasing levels of snot, you getting bunged-up, coughing/sneezing ect as if you were experiencing a cold.

      We’re not sure why the immune system suddenly decides that this particle is a threat– as for many people hayfever will develop in childhood by which time you’ve been exposed to the allergen plenty– but that’s a mystery that science will solve!

      Natt

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