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Risk factors

By Mayo Clinic staff

You may be at increased risk of developing an allergy if you:

  • Have a family history of asthma or allergies. You're at increased risk of allergies if you have family members with asthma or allergies such as hay fever, hives or eczema.
  • Are a child. Although you can become allergic to something at any age, children are more likely to develop an allergy than are adults. Children sometimes outgrow allergic conditions as they get older. However, it's not uncommon for allergies to go away and then come back sometime in the future.
  • Have asthma or an allergic condition. Having asthma increases your risk for developing an allergy. Also, having one type of allergic condition makes you more likely to be allergic to something else.
References
  1. Allergy. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/allergy. Accessed Jan. 7, 2009.
  2. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ). American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. http://www.acaai.org/public/questions/frequent.htm. Accessed Jan. 7, 2009.
  3. Tips to Remember: What is an allergic reaction? American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. http://www.aaaai.org/patients/publicedmat/tips/whatisallergicreaction.stm. Accessed Jan. 7, 2009.
  4. Bauer BA. Mayo Clinic Book of Alternative Medicine. New York, N.Y.: Time Inc.; 2007:156-157.

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Jan. 30, 2009

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