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.