Are there different strains of hayfever?

Question

My mum and dad both have hayfever

Whenever my mum sneezes a lot due to it, my dad doesn't

But when my dad sneezes a lot due to it, my mum doesn't

Why is this so?

Answer 1

hayfever is a allergic reaction to a allergen. an allergen is any substance that causes an allergic reaction. an allergic reaction is always due to an immune response.these can be divided into several types (1,2,3) etc. the most common are the immediate allergic reaction and the delayed type allergic reaction. as it says, they occur in either a delayed or immediate fashion. alllergic reactions are due to histamine release from mast cells and basophils upon degranulation. degranulation is a result of IgE bound antigen which sensitize these cells.

from the above you can see the process of an allergic reaction. the only entity that can change in this process above is the allergen.Thus, your parents have differing allergens which they are sensitize to; eg. animal dander and dust to name a few.

hope this explains the immunology:)