Can You Get Allergies Late in Life (and Why)

Allergies are surprisingly common in our modern day and age.

According to the CDC [1], it’s estimated that around ¼ of U.S. adults have been diagnosed with some form of seasonal allergies, while around 6% of adults have food allergies.

But when you look at the statistics for allergies among children, the numbers tell a different story. Only around 18.9% of children have had a diagnosed seasonal allergy and 5.8 have had a food allergy.

So what’s going on there?

The answer is simple: some allergies develop later in life, after childhood and adolescence.

In this post, we’re going to talk about adult allergies and answer the question "Can you get allergies later in life?" 

We’ll look at what allergies are and why they may develop in adulthood rather than earlier in life. We’ll look at some of the most common types of adult allergies, reasons you may develop them, and what symptoms of adult allergies to expect. We’ll finish up with information that will help you to live the healthiest, most comfortable life possible even with seasonal or food allergies.

An allergy may be annoying, but as you’ll see below, it doesn’t have to impair or negatively impact your life!

Understanding Allergies: A Brief Overview

What are allergies? Simply put, they’re your body’s reaction to substances that would be normally harmless, but which your body perceives as a threat.

Typically, it’s foreign proteins that trigger allergic reactions. While to most people (and even to you, in the past) these foreign proteins are harmless, your body’s natural defense system sees them as a threat and reacts.

Upon first encountering the allergen, your body produces antibodies that form immunoglobulin E (IgE). These antibodies bind to mast cells, a type of immune cell that signals when a pathogen or allergen needs to be eliminated by your immune system.

When the body detects the presence of these IgE-bonded mast cells, it triggers the release of histamine. Histamine is a chemical that increases blood flow to the affected area and triggers the inflammatory response that is your body’s natural reaction to threats and dangers.

Histamines then work with other cells—for example, the mucus cells in your nose and throat—to try and clear up the allergen.

It’s histamines that cause the typical allergy symptoms—sneezing, coughing, running nose, watery eyes, itchy throat, etc.—that are your body’s way of protecting against and attempting to eliminate allergens.

Can You Develop Allergies as an Adult?

Many allergies, particularly allergies to food, will typically develop early in life, during childhood or adolescence.

However, it’s surprisingly common for adults to develop allergies during their 30s and 40s, though some can even develop them as late as their 60s and 70s.

It’s estimated [2] that around 80% of allergies, particularly food allergies, develop during childhood. That means roughly 20% of allergies develop during adolescence and adulthood.

In fact, 48% of adult patients with food allergies have reported developing one of those food allergies during adulthood.

Common Types of Adult-Onset Allergies

The most common types of adult-onset allergies include:

• Seasonal allergies, an allergic reaction to something that is present in your environment only during certain times of year. It may be a certain type of pollen, grass, tree, or weed that triggers your allergies, such as in the case of hay fever. Thankfully, once the season for those common triggers passes, your allergies should go away.
• Perennial allergies, an allergic reaction to something that is present in your environment all year around. For example, you may become allergic to indoor mold, animal dander, dust, or dust mites. The allergies will persist as long as you are exposed to the allergen.
• Food allergies, an allergic reaction to something you ingest. Symptoms may manifest in your respiratory tract (sneezing, runny nose, coughing, etc.), in your digestive tract (indigestion, diarrhea, etc.), or both. The most common food allergies that develop during adulthood include finned fish, shellfish, and tree nuts.
• Drug allergies, an allergic reaction to medications. Your body mistakes the medications as harmful and develops antibodies to combat it specifically.

These are the new allergies most likely to affect you in adulthood.

Symptoms of Late-Onset Allergies

The symptoms of late-onset allergies tend to be similar to the symptoms of allergies you develop during childhood.

These new allergy symptoms include:

• Sneezing
• Runny or stuffy nose
• Nasal congestion
• Hives
• Rash
• Itchy throat and nose
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Indigestion
• Watery and itchy eyes
• Wheezing and breathing difficulties
• Anaphylaxis

Reasons for Developing Allergies Late in Life

Researchers still aren’t 100% clear on why you develop allergies later in life, why your adult body is suddenly allergic to something that caused no problems previously.

However, there are a few likely culprits behind the allergies.

1. Environmental Changes

If you grow up in a certain area, your body is accustomed to certain environmental factors—be it pet dander, a certain type of dust mite, pollen from certain plants, etc. Your body develops a natural immunity to and tolerance of these foreign invaders.

But when you change environments, you are exposed to a lot of new allergens. The new exposure can trigger allergic reactions because your body is unaccustomed to handling the environmental allergies, and thus sees them as an invader.

You may find that you develop an allergy if you move cities, change jobs, or bring a new pet into your home. This can also happen when a significant amount of construction in your area changes the dust levels, pollen levels, or plant life around you.

2. Hormonal Changes

Changes to your hormones (such as those that occur during menstruation or menopause) can cause allergies likely from changes in one’s histamine response.

Looking closer at the statistics of those suffering from allergies, it was noted by one study [3] that the population of allergy and autoimmunity sufferers comprised quite significantly of pre-adolescent males and post-adolescent females. This led them to believe that sex hormones played a role in allergies.

Their research discovered that "the inflammatory mechanisms of allergic reactions to hormone allergens, which are intrinsic to the body, are the same as the mechanisms of allergic reactions to external allergens." Higher levels of hormones (prior to male puberty and during female menstruation) could trigger allergy symptoms.

Additionally, the hormonal changes women experience during menopause can alter and impact the immune system. It can lead to higher rates of allergy and autoimmunity, and create greater sensitivity to substances that were previously tolerated.

3. Stress Impact

Stress doesn’t directly cause allergies, but it can worsen allergic symptoms by affecting your immune system and your body’s production of histamines.

It’s believed that "stress hormones can ramp up the already exaggerated immune system response to allergens."[4]

High levels of stress (much more common during adulthood) can make existing minor allergy symptoms far worse.

4. Dietary Changes

Eating new foods may cause your body to react unpredictably. While the chances of your body treating a specific chemical or micronutrient in some new food as a threat are low, they’re not non-existent.

Your body may develop respiratory or digestive issues because it mistakes the food as a threat (particularly if the food shares similarities with other allergens, like apples and birch trees or melons and grass pollen).

However, your body may also spontaneously decide that some fruit or vegetable you previously ate with no problem is now a danger and trigger the allergic reaction. This spontaneous development of allergies is not yet understood by scientists, but is a subject of constant research.

5. Genetic and Medical History

If you have a family history of allergic reactions, you may be more likely to inherit whatever genetic trait causes your parents’ and grandparents’ bodies to treat certain allergens as a danger.

Experts also believe that a severe allergic reaction during childhood makes you more likely to develop similar allergies when you reach adulthood, even if it was no more than a single episode.

6. Other Medical Conditions

People with asthma and eczema (both a form of allergic reaction) are more prone to developing other allergic reactions as they age, a phenomenon known as ‘atopic march’.

Living with Allergies as an Adult

Allergies, while often irksome, don’t have to negatively impact your life. You can still enjoy decades of healthy, active living with just a few simple changes to your lifestyle and daily habits.

Diagnosis and Testing

The first step is to get tested to diagnose any existing allergies.

There are tests you can take—either a blood allergy test or a skin prick test—to identify what substance or substances are causing your allergies.

Once you know what’s behind the allergic reaction, you can get more proactive with managing the problem.

Management Strategies

The best strategies for allergy management include:

• Using steroid nasal sprays to reduce nasal inflammation and congestion.
• Taking antihistamines to combat inflammation and irritation of your skin, lungs, and digestive tract (please do not use Benadryl (diphenhydramine) continually) .
• Taking allergy pills to alleviate other symptoms.
• Using eye drops to relieve dryness or itching in your eyes.
• Reducing your exposure to the allergens your testing identified as a problem, either through changing your environment or cutting the specific foods from your diet.
• Taking Quercitin, a natural antihistamine.
• Eating a low histamine diet.

Effective allergy management requires a targeted, consistent approach. By combining medication, environmental adjustments, and dietary changes, you can significantly reduce symptoms and improve daily comfort.

Long-term relief depends not just on treatment, but on other factors such as identifying and minimizing your personal triggers.

When to Consult an Allergist

You should consult an allergist if your allergy symptoms A) grow severe or life-threatening, or B) persist longer than a few days or fail to respond to over the counter antihistamines or allergy medications.

An allergist can work with you to create stronger medications tailored specifically to your body. Most likely these will include allergen immunotherapy or allergy shots. These allergy shots can help you address serious or persistent allergens as effectively as possible.

The allergist can also create injections of specific allergens that can be used to train your body not to overreact to the harmful foreign proteins that are triggering your allergies. The treatment plan can take a few years—from three to five is standard, and can provide long-term relief from allergy symptoms.

Conclusion

Allergies are an annoyance that many adults have to deal with, but they don’t have to ruin your life.

Now that you understand what they are, how they affect you as an adult, and what you can do to manage them, it’s up to you to get proactive! Talk with your primary care doctor about any existing allergies and discuss the best allergy treatments for providing long-term relief.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does having allergies mean your immune system is weak?

Allergies don’t mean your immune system is weak; on the contrary, it may suggest your immune system is overactive. Your body is responding to something otherwise harmless and treating it as a harmful substance, triggering allergy symptoms as a means of eradicating it before it causes danger.

How do I find out what I’m allergic to?

You can undergo allergy testing in the form of an oral food challenge, elimination diet, skin tests, or blood test to find out what you’re allergic to. Skin prick tests and blood tests are the most effective and accurate.

Do allergies ever go away?

Allergies that develop in childhood may grow less severe or resolve on their own as you go through puberty and reach adulthood. However, adult onset allergies tend to be lifelong and there are many ways to find relief!

Resources

Adult-Onset Allergies: How They Happen and How to Manage Them

Mayo Clinic Q and A: Reasons for developing allergies later in life not always clear

Do Seasonal Allergies Develop With Age?

Allergies