Science Common Sense

90 - Why do some people get allergies?

Imagine your body has a superhero that protects you from bad things like germs. Sometimes, this superhero can get a little mixed up and think that harmless things like pollen or certain foods are bad. Then, it attacks those harmless things, and that's what we feel as an allergy.

Our bodies learn what's bad and what's not from the things we're exposed to when we're young. If our body gets it wrong, or if we inherit this mix-up from our parents, we might get allergies. It's like our body's superhero is trying too hard to keep us safe.