Are Allergies Inherited?
By editor | July 5, 2007
Although there are many reasons why allergies are so common, family history is by far the most important. The genetic tendency to have allergies, called atopy, is inherited. If one parent has allergies, a child has a fifty-fifty chance of having allergies. If both parents have allergies, a child has about a 70 percent chance of developing allergies. You might assume that if you are allergic only to a certain tree pollen, for example, your child will react to the same allergen, but that’s not always the case. Your daughter could be allergic to dogs and your son to molds. The tendency to have allergies is inherited, but the specific allergy isn’t because children don’t always share the same allergies with their parents.
Tagged under:allergen allergic to dogs allergies allergy Asthma family history parents tree pollen
Topics: Allergy |
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