• Question: Why do some people have stronger allergies than others?

    Asked by Noraa to Ben, Lizzie, Francis, Max, Sian on 13 Mar 2018.
    • Photo: Ben Mulhearn

      Ben Mulhearn answered on 13 Mar 2018:

      Good question. It must be something to do with 1. Our genes from our parents, and 2. Our lifestyles. For example, if your parents have strong allergies, you are more likely to have stronger allergies too. Also, there is an idea (a hypthesis) that if we live really cleanly, we may develop more allergies. This is called the extended hygiene hypthesis.

    • Photo: Max Jamilly

      Max Jamilly answered on 13 Mar 2018:

      I agree with Ben. Search for some statistics online and you’ll see that the rate of allergies has gone up A LOT in the last fifty years. Some people used to think this was because doctors got better at detecting or reporting allergies, but it’s more complicated than that. It’s still a BIG mystery why more people in the developed world are becoming allergic.

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