Providence, Rhode Island, came in at eighth place on the AAFA’s Spring Allergy Capitals report. But what is the mechanism behind allergies and the symptoms they cause? An allergy starts when your immune system mistakes a normally harmless substance for a dangerous substance. The immune system then produces antibodies that remain alert for another exposure to that particular allergen. When you are exposed to the allergen again, these antibodies release immune system chemicals, such as histamine, that cause allergy symptoms like sneezing, nasal congestion and itchy eyes.
