Allergy

How mast cells work
Your body is a weapon. The immune system is a machine of war, ready to take on invaders. The immune system has its own internal affairs department: it can identify cells which are

Hay fever
The term hay fever is a misnomer: the condition is not caused by hay, nor does it produce fever. The clinical name is seasonal allergic rhinitis, which is a type of allergy.

Anatomy of a sneeze
Sneezing, also called sternutation, is your body's way of getting something irritating out of your nose. Here's how it works.

Asthma
"Asthma" comes from the ancient Greek word meaning "panting" and, if you've experienced an asthma attack, you'll understand why. For some, an asthma attack feels as though an

Why does my nose cause such trouble?
Your nose has the task of filtering out the unwanted substances and preventing them from entering the lungs.

Allergies – it’s war
Like all armed forces, your immune system makes mistakes. In real life it's called friendly fire. In your body it’s called an allergic reaction. Learn more about this mechanism.