I know allergies are really common, but I don’t quite understand what’s so bad about pollen, peanuts, etc. that you body would rather shut down your airways entirely than let them enter. What exactly would happen if they did get in?
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Allergens are simply things that your body reacts to that objectively by our standards it shouldn’t.
Seasonal allergies, or nose symptoms typically, occur when these allergens get in your nose. Your body reacts to their presence locally causing swelling and mucous production.
Anaphylactic type reactions occur when an allergen gets into your bloodstream. This causes a massive immune response. Part of the immune response is to open up your blood vessels to increase blood flow to certain areas. This is done to bring in cells to clean up the problem. However if this happens in your entire body it rapidly drops your blood pressure. It also can cause fluid buildup in the area near the top of your windpipe which can pinch off the airway. As well your airways themselves begin to close as that’s part of the response.
Basically allergens activate your immune system and if that happens to much at once, it kills you.
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