Any chance exposure to allergens help you get over an (existing) allergy?

Factual Questions
1

Because it’s very conflicting.

On one side, you see the basic “remove-all-sources-of-allergens-and-get-medicated-for-the-symptoms” ( the Hermetically Sealed Home approach) Web MD breaks it down to 1)Medication 2)Allergy Shots
and 3)Environmental Management. And that’s all they have to say about treatment.

Then there’s the idea that allergies are more likely to develop later, if you’re not exposed to various allergens when you’re young. 1999 study But doesn’t really address an existing allergy.

And then there’s the “allergies-can-develop-with-repeated-exposure-so-don’t-get-a-pet-even-when-you’re-not-allergic”
Here. Which seems like overkill to me.

I’m curious because I have had cats for years. I have never been seriously allergic to anything, though I’ve had the occasional sneeziness while hiking around outside in a weedpatch in full bloom. I’d ignore it and keep hiking around or trail riding and never considered myself allergic.

In about January, I started waking up completely congested with red eyes every morning. To the point, I would go to work, and everyone would ask if I was sick or had been crying.

Since my oldest cat feels the need to sleep on my pillow all night, I was very afraid I was developing a cat allergy. Attempts to shut her out led to massive door and carpet scratching. I finally stopped trying to shut her out when I noticed she was pulling up the carpet.

I compromised, and started changing the sheets daily, keeping pillows covered whenever possible to keep her off, etc. But I would still wake up most mornings to find her purring happily 2 inches from my nose.

In about 2 months, I completely quit waking up every morning with the red eyes and congestion. I’m back to my sloppy bed-making habits too :wink:

So what happened? Can’t find any cites on exposure helping with existing allergies (except a few about desensitation to FOOD allergies).

Or do allergies just go away sometimes?

2

Allergies just go away sometimes. In particular, they are generally less common in the elderly, like colds and migraines (and I bet you thought aging was all bad).
Whether lots of exposure to an allergen can make you less allergic is a confusing question. It seems to be the whole point of desensitization therapy (allergy shots), where they actually shoot the allergen into you.
There are lots of confusing and at least superficially apparently contradictory details to allergy - and it has a strong psychologically determined component, too. It wouldn’t be surprising if nobody in the world could answer the question satisfactorily.

3

OK, but does anyone else here wanna try? Because I, for one, have ben very interested abut this question myself for some time now.

I am very allergic to dogs and cats. Is there any evidence that might support the idea that if I lived with dogs and cats, exposing myself to their allergens as intensely as possible for a given period of time, that I would become immune to these allergens? after months? years?

Another allergy question: I am allergic to tomatoes, peas, greenbeans, and carrots. Is there a common allergen present in each of these? and if so what is it? and if so, what else contains this allergen that I might not be aware of? and can it be removed? because it really sucks being allergic to actual healthy foods that I love the taste of. Carrots, mmmmmmmm…

4

You don’t become “immune” to allergens. There is a shampoo you can buy for your cat which will lessen your allergic reaction to it (though I believe most people who are allergic to cats are also allergic to their saliva). Have fun washing your cat.

5

As a kid I took allergy shots for 14 years. Every three weeks during winter, every week the rest of the year. The idea was that injecting me with extracts from allergens would allow me to become resistent to them.

So how come that works with shots but not with everyday exposure? How come petting a cat once a week won’t alleviate my allergies to cats, but being injected with pollen will (alledgedly)?

6

Better?

(a little input on the correct terminology will always be appreciated ;))