Kayla Bertholf
S&E Editor
Springtime at Wooster comes with a beautiful array of blooming trees, flowers and plenty of green grass. The spring seasons at Wooster also come with plenty of allergies. How can the magnolia trees lead to the continuous suffering of the student body? Blame your immune system. In an effort to protect you from foreign invaders such as pollen or other infectious particles. The immune system reorganizes an allergen as a foreign invader that could harm the body and creates a type of very specific protein, Immunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodies, that travel throughout the body and stimulate other immune cells to release inflammatory chemicals called cytokines. Cytokines are inflammatory agents that can react with normal cells of the body to cause reactions such as sneezing, coughing, inflamed and watery eyes and difficulty breathing. However, there is hope in the form of antihistamines, or anti-inflammatory drugs often used to treat allergies. These drugs contain chemicals in the correct shape to bind to the cellular machinery inside of T-cells to prevent them from becoming activated by foreign substances and stimulating the production of antibodies in response. Thanks to antihistamines, you can enjoy the plethora of flowering trees without an overreactive immune system.
