Regina G. Barber

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You're listening to Shortwave from NPR.

Hey short wavers, it's Regina Barber with a very important message.

I hate allergies.

Itchy nose, runny eyes, when my throat gets scratchy.

It's like my own body is rebelling against me.

And it's not just seasonal allergies.

My allergies can strike when I'm cleaning the house, when I'm mowing the lawn at any time of year, when I move to D.C.

And after too many sneezes, I was like, it's time to take action.

What is up with this?

That's Dr. Gina DePoole-Hidalgo.

I invited her to the NPR studios because she's a pediatric and adult allergist in the D.C.

suburbs.

And she very patiently began our conversation with a recap of what allergies are.

People's bodies have been doing this, encountering allergens, overreacting, creating these allergic antibodies for a long time, which means doctors have been trying to treat it for a long time.

But what if I told you there was another kind of treatment that worked for all but the most severe allergies?

One that didn't just treat the symptoms of your allergies, but the actual cause of them.