Seeker+'s video: Why Are Allergies So Common

Every time spring comes along, it bodes bad news for those who suffer from allergies. So what exactly are allergies and how do they activate the immune system. » Subscribe to Seeker+! https://bit.ly/SeekerPlusSubscribe (then hit the little 🔔 icon and select “all.“) » Watch more! http://bit.ly/SeekerPlusPlaylist The definition of an allergy is pretty broad. Allergic reactions happen when the body’s immune system overreacts to something that’s normally harmless. These substances are called allergens. For people with allergies, their first exposure to an allergen may be harmless. On the outside, everything might look normal. But on the inside their body is ringing alarm bells and gearing up for future invaders. Days or even years can pass between the first exposure and the first allergic response. Really you never know if you might have an allergy and just not know it yet. Some people may seem as though their bodies are reacting the very first time they’re exposed to an allergen, but they may have unknowingly encountered it before through their skin, or when they were babies being breastfed, or even in the womb. But for their immune system to respond, it must have had a run-in with the perceived threat before. After that initial encounter, a person with allergies will start producing more of a specific antibody inside their… body. Now to be clear, antibodies are an incredibly useful part of your immune system. They’re little Y-shaped proteins that are part of your body’s adaptive immune system, which can learn to recognize new threats and destroy them. Antibodies are also known as immunoglobulins and humans have five varieties: IgG, IgA, IgM, IgD, and IgE. IgE is responsible for a lot of allergic reactions. Read more: What are antibodies? https://www.livescience.com/antibodies.html “Our body has a specialized search-and-destroy army. Antibodies are key players in that fight.” IgG subclasses and allotypes: from structure to effector functions https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2014.00520/full “Of the five immunoglobulin isotypes, immunoglobulin G (IgG) is most abundant in human serum. The four subclasses, IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4, which are highly conserved, differ in their constant region, particularly in their hinges and upper CH2 domains.” Anaphylaxis https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/anaphylaxis “Anaphylaxis, also called allergic or anaphylactic shock, is a sudden, severe and life-threatening allergic reaction that involves the whole body.” -- Seeker+ is your home for deep dives, fun facts, rabbit holes, and more. Join host Julian Huguet as he unapologetically nerds out on the oddball history, astounding science and intriguing future around topics that will make you the smartest person at your next trivia night. -- Seeker empowers the curious to understand the science shaping our world. We tell award-winning stories about the natural forces and groundbreaking innovations that impact our lives, our planet, and our universe. Follow us on TikTok: tiktok.com/@seeker Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/seeker/ Follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/seeker