It's that time of the year again: allergy season. Whether students are heading to Clemons Library to get through the home stretch or preparing for a night out, the sniffling, swollen eyes and eight-pack pocket Kleenex can be spotted - or heard - from a distance.
For those who are unfamiliar with the mechanism for an allergic reaction, an allergy is caused by an immune response to a substance which is not generally harmful. While the immune system normally protects the body from dangerous substances, it also reacts to allergens - substances which may be "foreign" to some but cause no reaction for most, such as certain foods and dust. This immune response is exaggerated in a person with allergies, releasing chemicals called histamines which fight off the allergen. As a result, symptoms such as itching, runny nose, hives, rashes and burning eyes become very familiar to someone suffering from allergies.
Although most food and drug allergies can be avoided, one cannot run from pollen, one of the most common causes of allergic reactions. Most students take medications such as antihistamines - Allegra, Benadryl and
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