Scientists might finally have an answer on the origins of your seasonal allergies

Key Points:

• Researchers at Mass General Brigham Health Care System discovered that repeated exposure to allergens like pollens and molds worsens allergies by creating a "memory" in nerve cells that heightens sensitivity to future allergen encounters.
• The study, conducted on mice, showed that nerve cells remember shared features of different allergens, explaining why sensitivity to one allergen can increase susceptibility to others.
• This allergic memory in nerve cells fades over time, and scientists are exploring ways to deliberately reset it to reduce allergy risk.
• Climate change is intensifying allergy problems by causing earlier blooming seasons, increased pollen production, and delayed first freezes in many U.S. cities, with the current super El Niño further raising pollen levels.
• The new findings offer hope for developing treatments to prevent or lessen allergies despite worsening environmental conditions.