Today I accidentally ingested something that I’m mildly allergic to, and within minutes I had hives on my shoulders and scalp (which is my usual reaction).
I understand that hives are caused by your immune system being activated. What I don’t understand is: if you’ve just ingested the food you’re allergic to, how is it that your immune system gets activated before you’ve had any time to digest it? And why do hives appear on the scalp, which is far away from where the food would be absorbed?
In: Biology
Digestion starts in your mouth! As you chew, saliva gets mixed in, which has white blood cells in it among other things. Those are able to transmit an immune response very quickly
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