Allergies have been documented in historical records dating as far back as 2,400 years ago, when Hippocrates wrote about “hostile humors” in some people who suffered badly after eating cheese. But why do we experience them to begin with? What even is an allergy? Are allergies on the rise? And why are some mere nuisances, while others are deadly?

This episode is a roundup of allergy stories—from the mundane to the frightful—and a round up of allergy questions we’re asking Dr. Theresa MacPhail, author of Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World, to answer for us.

Featuring Beni Osei Duker, Theresa MacPhail, Dwayne Smith, and Lily Ko.

Produced by Felix Poon. For a transcript and full list of credits, go to outsideinradio.org.

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LINKS

Check out Theresa MacPhail’s book, Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World.

Read up on the different hypotheses on why we get allergies in the first place:

• The parasite hypothesis
• The toxin hypothesis
• The hygiene hypothesis
• The old friends hypothesis

Learn about the history of the EpiPen.