According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology, over 50 million people in the U.S. experience allergies yearly, ranking them as the 6th leading cause of chronic illness amongst Americans. Pollen, dust, food, and certain medications can all prompt an allergic reaction within the body (via Kids Health). While generally harmless, the body perceives these intruding substances as a threat, triggering the body's natural immune response. The discomfort of allergies is not exclusive to adults, as they account for nearly 2 million absences in school-aged children annually.

根据美国过敏、哮喘和免疫学学院的数据，美国每年有超过5000万人患过敏症，将其列为美国人慢性病的第六大病因。花粉、灰尘、食物和某些药物都会在体内引发过敏反应(见儿童健康)。虽然通常是无害的，但身体会将这些入侵物质视为威胁，从而触发身体的自然免疫反应。过敏引起的不适并非成年人所独有，因为每年有近200万学龄儿童因过敏缺课。

While allergens can include anything from latex to perfumes, reactions are often most prompted by shellfish for adults and milk for children (via Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America). When prompted, our body goes to work protecting us by forming antibodies against the allergen. This process involves the release of chemicals into the bloodstream, which, in turn, can irritate the eyes, lungs, throat, and nose, according to Kids Health.

虽然过敏原可以包括从乳胶到香水的任何东西，但引起过敏反应的通常成人是海鲜贝类，儿童则是牛奶。当提示时，我们的身体会通过形成抗过敏原的抗体来保护我们。据《儿童健康》杂志报道，这一过程涉及到将化学物质释放到血液中，从而刺激眼睛、肺、喉咙和鼻子。

So is the development of allergies purely environmental, or can biology play a role too?

那么，过敏的发展纯粹是环境因素，还是生物学也能起作用呢?

According to WebMD, there's no guarantee that a parent's allergy will be passed down to their children. However, depending on whether one or both parents struggle with allergies, the child's likelihood of having an allergy increases. If one parent has an allergy, the odds of passing it along genetically stands at 50%; if both parents experience allergies, the chances climb to 75%.

根据WebMD的说法，并不能保证父母的过敏会遗传给他们的孩子。然而，根据父母一方或双方是否患有过敏症，孩子患过敏症的可能性会增加。如果父母一方有过敏症，遗传的几率是50%;如果父母双方都有过敏症，几率上升到75%。

However, a child can still develop an allergy even if neither parent is allergic. According to News Medical Life Sciences, these odds are low, standing at just one in five chances. So while genetics may play a role in the chances of developing an allergy, that doesn't necessarily mean it will be the same allergy as the parent(s), and genes are not the only factor at play. The specific type of allergic condition a child develops can also be influenced by diet, air pollution, exposure to smoke, viral infections, vaccinations, or daycare attendance.

然而，即使父母双方都不过敏，孩子也可能会过敏。据《新闻医学生命科学》报道，这种可能性很低，只有20%的可能。因此，虽然基因可能在产生过敏的几率中发挥作用，但这并不一定意味着这是与父母相同的过敏，基因并不是唯一的因素。儿童过敏的具体类型也可能受到饮食、空气污染、吸烟、病毒感染、疫苗接种或日托的影响。

So while there may be a link between allergies and genetics, our genes can't be singled out as the only contributing factor.

因此，虽然过敏和遗传学之间可能存在联系，但我们的基因并不是唯一的致病因素。