Whenever I am asked what I do for a living, the phrase “I’m an allergist” is almost immediately followed by “So, where are all of these allergies coming from?”
Maybe I’ll get sick of that question some day, but I haven’t yet. As a clinician and researcher on allergies and public health, I first explain that when a society begins to become aware of a disease, the reported prevalence will go up. This is understandable. People who have medically unexplained symptoms wonder, “Could I have this allergy that’s being talked about?” and try on the diagnosis. Sometimes an allergy really is at the root of their problems, and sometimes it’s not.
