An allergy is your body's hypersensitive reaction to a normally harmless substance. These substances, be they food, pollen, a bee sting, dust mites, or a host of others, are called allergens. In the body of an allergic person, the immune system reacts abnormally when an allergen is brought into contact or absorbed by their body. The immune system treats the allergen as a dangerous invader - the same reaction that normally help protect us from infectious diseases.

As a result, your body's white blood cells produce antibodies, which , treating the substance as a harmful invader, causing the body to release histamines. Histamines in turn cause the symptoms normally associated with common allergies, such as sneezing, watery eyes, and itching - as well as potentially much worse and more hazardous responses.

Allergies are one of the most common medical ailments, with over 50 million Americans affected each year. Sinus, contact dermatitis, food, and reactions to insect stings are the most common allergy types. It is estimated that each year, 100 Americans die from food-induced allergies, and another 50-100 from insect stings.