- Hey guys, Tara here for Dnews - and it is

嘿，各位，Tara在這為你播報D新聞

officially that time of year! The birds are chirping, the flowers are blooming, and if

一年中的這個時候到了！鳥兒在吱吱喳喳的叫，花兒爭相的綻放

you're anything like me - your nose is a disgusting faucet of neverending liquids.

還有…如果你像我一樣的話，你的鼻子正是個不斷流出鼻涕的噁心水龍頭

BUT- before you go blaming pollen for those pesky seasonal allergies - remember, you have

但，在你為了這個討厭的季節性過敏而責怪花粉前，記得

no one to blame but yourself.

你只能責備你自己

So, what's happening inside your body, when you experience allergies?

那麼，在你過敏的時候，你的身體裡究竟發生了些什麼事呢？

Well, it's basically one giant misunderstanding. The first time you're exposed to an allergen

基本上，這裡會有一個很大的誤解。第一次你接觸到過敏原時

- your immune system investigates that allergen and produces specific antibodies for it, which

你的免疫系統偵測到這個過敏原，並製造特定的抗體

are special cells designed to detect and stop foreign invasion.

這個抗體是為了偵測和阻止陌生的入侵者，所產生的特殊細胞

Typically, this is a good thing. It's what prevents you from getting sick. But in the

通常，這是一件好事。這是預防你生病的系統

case of allergies, your immune system mistakes innocuous things like pollen and cat dander

但說到過敏，你的免疫系統將無害的東西，例如，花粉、貓皮屑誤認為是嚴重的威脅

- for a serious threat. And in response to that threat, your plasma cells release a flood

而為了對付這個威脅，你的漿細胞釋放出

of these antibodies that attach to the surface of your mast cells, causing them to burst

一堆抗體，附著於你的肥大細胞表面，讓它們

open and release a flood of histamine. Histamine is what causes the swelling that leads to

爆裂以釋出許多組織胺

various allergy-like symptoms, like runny nose, sneezing, or hives.

組織胺就是造成腫脹，進一步產生各種過敏症狀，如：徵兆、流鼻涕、打噴嚏或蕁麻疹

But why do some people have such bad allergies, and others not at all? There's no cut-and-dry

但為何有些人有嚴重的過敏，其他人卻不會有呢？

answer to that question, but genetics and environment seem to play the two biggest roles.

這個問題沒有任何解答，但遺傳和環境似乎占了很重要的地位

Research, for example, has shown that children with one allergic parent have a 33% chance

例如，有研究顯示，有一位家長有過敏的孩童，有33%的機率有過敏

of developing allergies; and with two allergic parents, that number goes up to 70%. Genetics

而兩位家長都有過敏症狀的，小孩的機率提升到70%

are also the reason African-American children experience three times as much sensitivity

非裔美國人和白人小孩相比，有三倍之多的機率對食物有過敏，其原因也來自於遺傳

to food allergens, as Caucasian children. In science, we're always taught that early

以學科來說，我們總是被教導

development is the most crucial stage of life - and early exposure to allergens is no different.

及早開發是一生中最重要的一個階段，而及早接觸過敏原也是

Research from Henry Ford Hospital shows that having a pet in the house during your child's

根據亨利·福特醫院做的研究顯示，在你的小孩出生第一年裡

first year of life may protect him or her from developing allergies.

在家中飼養寵物可以讓他或她免於過敏困擾

That same group also found that babies born via c-section were six times more likely to

同樣的同隊也發現，嬰兒透過剖腹產出生的

be sensitive to dust mite allergens, than babies born via natural birth. Presumably,

和自然產的小孩相比，有六倍之高的機率對細塵過敏

because they're not exposed to the microbiome of bacteria present in the mother's birth

推測的原因是因為，他們沒有接觸到媽媽產道中

canal, which teaches their immune system the difference between good and bad bacteria.

教導他們的免疫系統，區別好的細菌和不好的細菌的微生物

This goes hand in hand with something called the Hygiene Hypothesis, which aims to explain

這和名為衛生假說的是一起的

why allergies are more prevalent in wealthy, industrialized nations, than developing countries.

目的在於解釋，為什麼和發展中國家相比，過敏較盛行於富有的、工業化後的國家

Again, the idea is that a lack of early exposure to parasites and bacteria typically found

再一次申明，這個主意在於說明，因為沒有早期接觸通常在發展中國家會遇到的寄生蟲和細菌

in developing nations - prevents our bodies from being able to develop the appropriate

因此，我們的身體無法發展出適當的免疫系統來應對它們

immune response to them. So in the event we're actually exposed to dangerous agents, our

所以，萬一我們真正遇到了危險的因子

bodies simply don't know how to deal with it.

我們的身體會不知道該如何處理

So, what can we do about seasonal allergies, if our bodies just refuse to cooperate?

如果我們的身體不願意配合，那麼我們可以在遇到季節性的過敏時做些什麼呢？

Anti-histamines can alleviate the symptoms - but they're not gonna make you any less

抗組織胺可以減緩症狀，但它們無法讓你不過敏

allergic to a substance you're already allergic to. Some studies tout alternative remedies

有些研究指出可選擇的方法

- like acupuncture, or eating locally grown honey - but most of those have anecdotal effects.

像是針灸或是吃當地生產的蜂蜜，但大多數都沒有實質的效用

The only proven treatment for respiratory allergies - is immunotherapy, where you receive

對於呼吸過敏，唯一被證實的治療方法為血清療法

increasing doses of whatever allergen you're sensitive to, either orally - or via injection.

這個療法是：讓你透過口服或是注射，得到更多劑量會使你過敏的過敏原

That slow build-up of allergens, allows your body to acclimate to them, which in turn,

慢慢建立起的過敏原，會使你的身體適應，接著

improves your long-term tolerance. Not only is this an expensive option - if

改善你的長期容忍力。這不但是個花費高的選擇

you don't have insurance - it's also a time-consuming process, that can take months or even years

如果你沒有保障，這也是一個花費時間的過程，有可能花費幾個月，或甚至於幾年的時間

to build up a sufficient tolerance. In the most extreme cases, people with severe

來建立起足夠的容忍力。在最極端的案例中

allergies can resort to rush immunotherapy - which is the same thing, but on a much tighter

有著嚴重過敏症狀的患者，可以使用倉促性的血清療法，而這也是一樣的東西

timeline. So instead of spreading out your doses over several months or years, you receive

但是是在更緊迫的時間裡。因此，與其將你的劑量以多個月或年散布出去

all of them. In a week. One long, miserable, neverending week.

你將它們全數接收。在一個星期內，非常悲慘的、永不結束的一個星期

Still better than a lifetime of sneezing, though - that much I can tell you. I got tested

仍然比一生的打噴嚏還要好。這是我可以告訴你的訊息。

for allergies my first year of college - and discovered I was allergic to all 71 allergens

我在進入大學的第一年測試我的過敏，發現，我對於自己接受測試的71種過敏原都過敏

they tested me for, including both American and German cockroaches. So, yeah. I'm pretty

包含美國和德國蟑螂

wordly. I know there's weirder stuff out there, though

所以，是的。我非常的世俗化。我知道那裏有更奇異的工作人員在那

- so let us know what YOU'RE allergic to, in the comments down below - or hit us up

在下面的建議欄裡，讓我們知道你對什麼過敏

on Twitter at @Dnews.

或是在Twitter的@Dnews尋找我們