Regina G. Barber

So today on the show, allergy treatments.

We're learning where our allergies come from, how they're detected, and even how to treat them so they're effectively gone.

You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.

So, Dr. Gina, can I call you Dr. Gina?

Yes, you can call me Dr. Gina.

Excellent.

Let's start with allergies.

I was well into my adulthood when I finally did the allergy panel to check if I had allergies because I suspected.

Can you, for our listeners, tell us how does this test work?

Yeah, I found out I was allergic to, let me read this, starting from most intense to least intense.

Basically all grasses, dust mites, some tree pollen and weeds, cats, I have four cats, cockroaches equal to cats, feathers, mosquitoes.

What's happening in my body when I encounter these allergens?

Like the itchy, the water.

So why am I not bothered by my four cats?

Like I've had four cats for the last year and a half and I'm just not that bothered by it.

But it's like in the middle of my allergy spectrum of like... Of reactivity.

I was also fascinated.

I asked the doctor this, the allergist.

I do feel like a little bit bothered by them, but not a lot.

And he's like, well, you'll notice if you go on a long trip and come back.