When you are experiencing allergy symptoms, it’s an indication that an immune response is happening in the body. Your immune system detects the allergens and interprets these compounds as a threat. As a result, the immune system kicks into gear to protect you, resulting in symptoms from the response.

As you learned in our last blog post, in Functional Medicine, we look at the underlying cause of the symptoms. Instead of hiding the symptoms with medication, we want to understand WHY this immune response is occurring.

Types of Immune Responses to Allergens

It’s essential to understand the difference between innate vs. adaptive immune responses:

• Innate Immune Response: The innate immune response is the first line of defense against these outside threats. When you come in contact with an allergen, this response uses chemical, physical, and cellular defenses against the pathogens. The purpose of this response is to stop the spread of foreign invaders, helping to protect the rest of your body.
• Adaptive Immune Response: Next, the second line of defense kicks in, known as the adaptive immune response. This immunity is also known as acquired immunity. The function is to attack non-self-allergens, but sometimes a mistake occurs, and the immune system starts attacking your own cells. When this happens, it results in the development of autoimmune diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis or lupus.

Usually, the innate response is immediate, while the adaptive response happens over time. When the body moves from an innate immune response into an adaptive immune response, there is an expansion of lymphocyte activity. When an adaptive immune response is for a while, it can take a toll on your health over time.