Where do allergies come from?

The question, from a boy sitting at a table near mine, caught my attention. Obviously a pro at handling the random curiosities of a young child, his mom said: "From flowers and grass and foods like peanuts."

The boy went back to his meal, seemingly satisfied with her answer.

I was not.

Scientists know what causes allergies. When particles of pollen, pet dander or certain types of food enter our bodies, they're called antigens. If your body has a sensitivity to that particle, it mistakes the harmless element for a dangerous invader, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. The particle then becomes what we call an allergen, although a sensitivity to a substance alone doesn't guarantee you will develop an allergy.

Allergens cause your body to produce Immunoglobulin E, or IgE, antibodies. Antibodies are used to identify and destroy dangerous invaders. Unfortunately, IgE antibodies also release histamine and other chemicals that can create an allergic reaction.

But what causes one person to become sensitive to these indiscriminate antigens floating through the air, while another sails through life with dry eyes and clear sinuses?

Scientists aren't exactly sure, but they have a few ideas.

Dr. Christine Cole Johnson has been studying allergies since the early 1980s. Her research team at Henry Ford Hospital was the first to show that having a pet in the house during your child's first year of life may protect him or her from developing allergies -- a finding that's since been duplicated in other studies.

Her latest research suggests allergy development starts even before that.

Johnson analyzed data from a group of more than 1,200 newborns who were born in Michigan between 2003 and 2007, and have been evaluated by researchers at 1 month, 6 months, 1 year and 2 years old

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She found that babies born by cesarean section are six times more likely to be sensitive to dust mite allergens than babies born naturally. The researcher found similar results for exposure to cat- and dog-hair allergens.

Babies who are born via C-section have a different microbiome in their gastrointestinal tract, Johnson said. A microbiome is what scientists use to describe the bacteria communities that reside in humans, whether it's in our mouths, on our skin or in our digestive system.

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http://edition.cnn.com/2013/03/26/health/what-causes-allergies/index.html?hpt=he_t2