Do I Have a Grass Allergy? What Do Your Genes Say?
Could your DNA reveal your Sensitization to Grass? Check Genomelink now to find out your genetic predisposition for grass sensitization!
Ha-Choo!!!! Sniff, sniff. Ah, it must be allergy season again. When are they ever going to figure out how to stop these darn allergies?
Do I Have a Grass Allergy? DNA Reveals Your Sensitivity to Grass
If you suffer from a grass allergy, you are in luck: recent advances in genomics (genetic science) have identified specific genes that relate to an individual’s likelihood of having a grass allergy.
We’ve known for a long time that allergies are genetic because they travel in families. But now we are getting closer to understanding why they occur. What does this mean for you? For starters, you can use your DNA profile to better understand the genetic basis of your condition. This information, in turn, will prove increasingly useful as science continues to uncover – and treat -- the genetic mechanisms that cause grass allergies.
How To Find Your Grass Allergy Genetics
The starting point for understanding your genetics as they relate to grass allergies is to obtain a full DNA profile from companies like Ancestry.com and 23andme. Then, you can upload this data to Genomelink for a specific analysis of your genes in relation to allergies.
One huge study of almost 13,000 adults found clear links between three different genes and grass allergies. [The study also found that those with older siblings are less likely to have grass allergies, but concluded that “the mechanism for this remains unclear.”]
While there is no “cure” for grass allergies at this time, the fact that scientists have found the genetic basis of this affliction is very promising. It means that gene therapy or other types of medication to treat grass allergies are likely to be developed in the future. (Gene therapy is a form of medicine that we have already seen widely-used with the COVID-19 vaccines.)
Allergies Are an Epidemic-Level Affliction
The statistics of Americans who suffer from allergies speak to the scale of the problem. According to WebMD:
· More than 50 million Americans suffer from allergies each year.
- Allergies are ranked #6 among leading chronic diseases in the U.S.:
- Allergies are estimated to cost the U.S. health care system $18 billion annually.
- A child with a parent who suffers from an allergy has a 30-50% chance of also having an allergy.
· A child with two parents who suffer from allergies has a 60-80% chance of also having an allergy.
What is a Grass Allergy?
If suffer from a grass allergy, you’re more than familiar with the symptoms:
· sneezing
· stuffiness
· a runny nose
· red and watery eyes
· swelling around the eyes
· itchiness in the nose, roof of the mouth, throat, eyes, or, sometimes, ears
· worsening asthma symptoms
Often referred to as hay fever, the medical term for these conditions is allergic rhinitis. While typically not life-threatening, these symptoms are frustrating. It’s like having a light cold that won’t go away. To add to the frustration, the symptoms are most pronounced on beautiful, sunny days – especially in Spring. This is because grass allergies are caused by the microscopic pollen of grasses, which alight into the air on sunny, breezy days. Pollen are part of the reproductive process of grasses.
Hay fever occurs because people’s bodies detect the pollen and mistake it for an infectious agent, and respond by attempting to flush it out of the eyes and nose. This is an immune system response. It is an otherwise healthy response to an actual threat (a virus, bacteria, parasite, or toxic substance) that is being triggered by a non-toxic substance (pollen).
New Treatments for Grass Allergies are Around the Corner
Now that we have established which genes contribute to grass allergies, scientists have a good chance of developing medicines to better address the affliction. Given that 50 million Americans suffer from allergies, you can be sure that the pharmaceutical industry will be working full-stop to find new and better interventions.
Start now by profiling your DNA and uploading it to Genomelink. As the science improves, Genomelink will keep you informed as to the latest findings and potential remedies.
