If you suffer from year-round or seasonal allergies, you may already know that Texas has six cities on the list of the top 100 most challenging places to live with allergies (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 2020). Baylor Scott & White Health has allergy and immunology specialists (often called allergists) on the medical staff who can help identify allergy triggers and manage symptoms for both children and adults.
Allergies are problems of the immune system. An allergen is anything that causes the body's immune system to release histamine, one of the chemicals that cause allergy symptoms.
Most allergic reactions happen when the immune system reacts to a false alarm. Normally, the body defends itself against harmful things, such as viruses or bacteria. But the defenses also attack mild things, so allergy symptoms can be caused by dust, mold, pollen and other environmental triggers at various times of the year (often called seasonal allergies), depending on your sensitivities.