‘All About Allergies’, An Explanation of What Happens in the Body During an Allergy Attack

In the SciShow video “All About Allergies,” host Michael Aranda explains what occurs in the body during an allergy attack, how serious allergies can be and why certain people develop allergies.

…the idea, first developed in 1989, known as microbial deprivation. This model essentially suggested that the modern industrialized world is just too damn clean. We know that allergies are highest among those who live in wealthy developed countries and in urban areas regardless of race or sex. According to microbial deprivation, children who grew up in these environments simply aren’t subjected to enough dirt, grime, bacteria and parasites thus depriving them of what scientists call benign exposure. Hypothesis suggests that this benign exposure helps balance the immune system giving it something to fight. Maybe when there aren’t enough pathogens to keep busy, it overreacts and attacks things like pollen instead. There is some research to back this up.