If allergies are basically a pure immune response – no actual pathogen, just your body mistaking something harmless for a pathogen and freaking out – why does getting hayfever have distinct symptoms that most illnesses don’t have? Why does my immune system being set off because of harmless grass seed and pet dander give me itchy eyes and hives, but when it’s set off by a real virus it doesn’t do either of those things? On its face, shouldn’t being sick feel like “all the symptoms you get during an allergic reaction + whatever symptoms are caused by the actual harm the pathogen is doing”?
In: Biology
The difference is in how your body reacts to allergens versus actual pathogens. With allergies, your immune system overreacts to harmless things like pollen or pet dander, causing symptoms like itchy eyes and hives. This is more about an exaggerated response to something that’s not really harmful. When you’re sick with a virus, your body reacts to the infection itself, which can cause different symptoms like fever or fatigue. So while both involve the immune system, the triggers and types of responses are different.
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