Presented by Dan Dwyer

Most of the time our immune system protects us from the outside world. Occasionally, it tries to protect us from things like pollen and peanuts instead, a process that we call allergy. The allergic response involves several specialized types of white blood cells acting together. For some this is a minor inconvenience, while for others it can lead to a life threatening condition termed “anaphylaxis.” The overall incidence rate of allergies is increasing in the developed world for reasons that are not yet fully understood, but recent research suggests that this has more to do with our modern lifestyle than with anything else.