Is it possible to lose an allergy?

Question

I used to get poison ivy all the time, and this year, I've walked through it tons of times and havn't got anything. Did I lose my allergy? If so, that possible?

Answer 1

Due to the repeated exposure to the allergen, your body develped anti-bodies that will make you resistant to allergic reactions. So yes, in a way you did lose your allergy.

Answer 2

It's possible to lose and gain allergies throughout our lives, interestingly enough. :)

When I was younger, I used to get an irritated mouth and tongue if I ate avocado, but this no longer happens. However, when I was younger, I could eat pineapple and raw walnuts without trouble. As an adult, I feel extremely sick if I eat pineapple (long story), and with raw walnuts I get a very irritated mouth.

One of my friends used to have bad cat allergies. When he got married, he did not want his wife to get rid of her cats. He took antihistimines and hoped for the best. Over the years, he became less and less bothered by the cats! :) And he didn't even have to get allergy shots!

I don't know if poison ivy/poison oak is a similar or different situation, since it seems MOST people find them irritating, so it might not be as much of an allergy as a toxic/irritating chemical. That being said, I have touched poison oak 2 times, and never had anything happen. But I'm not going to push my luck and go walking through it, that's for sure! *grin*

Answer 3

Well, since you have had it so many times, you may have built up an immunity to it. Either that, or perhaps it was a different type of poison ivy?

Answer 4

It is possible to grow out of an allergy, or develop an allergy.

Answer 5

sorry but no, you can't, you can make it dormant by getting a hot from your docter but otherwise no way to get rid of it permanently.

Answer 6

there is no way yo get rid of it completely but you can live with it

Answer 7

YES