Brian K. Cooley
Environmental Consulting & Biological Services
1899 El Centro Drive
Columbia, Missouri 65201
email:  [log in to unmask]
phone:  314-474-3941
 
 
>
> It was my understanding that allergies resulted from an immune
> system overreacting to an allergen, not from a weak immune system failing
> to react. Any immunologists out there who could clarify the situation?
>
> Tom
>
Forgive me if I implied that it was caused from a weak immune system
failing.  You are correct in stating that it is an over reaction to an
allergen.  To be more specific your body will actually interpret pollen
or small food particles, etc. as a pathogen and attack it which is part
of your immune response.  However, people that tend to have weak immune
systems, for some reason, tend to be copiously thick with allergies (of
course there are always exceptions to the rule).  There are people that
cannot live within a few miles of a feed mill because they mix in whey
with their feeds.  Some people are simply allergic to milk.  A very few
will actually have terible reactions from being down wind of a feed mill
because they will react with the ppm levels of whey in the air.