Imagine going to a cafeteria and ordering food. As you take a bite of your meal, you notice a strange tingling in your throat. A rash forms on the skin. Nothing seems to worry you. As you continue to eat, breathing becomes more and more difficult. Your throat is swollen. You panic, grab your epinephrine auto-injector, and inject yourself. If you were too late, your body would have gone into shock and you might even have died. Instead, you return to normal and realize that the food you ate contained an allergen that you were sensitive to. This little mistake could have ended your life if you didn't have the epipen. This reaction is common in people who suffer from allergies. Perhaps you would just experience a rash or just a slight swelling of the throat. Allergic reactions are on the rise. What causes allergies and why have so many people been diagnosed with allergies? The fundamental response is insufficient training of the immune system. What is considered to be insufficient training? Before this increase in allergies and living in the 21st and 20th centuries, cleanliness was not the biggest issue when it came to allergies. The company didn't have the hyper-clean attitude it has today. Children played outdoors, got dirty and antiseptic products did not spread into homes. Life seemed more natural than today. Today, society values ​​advancements in technology for family well-being and individual well-being. Hand sanitizers have taken the place of soaps, antibiotics have taken over in place of the natural immune response. This shift towards technology and advancements has put a damper on our immune system and its ability to fight antigens. The preferred training of the immune system during adolescence has shifted from the T-helper 1...... middle of paper ......g response of the immune system during adolescence. Numerous studies have been performed that support parts of this statement and also deny some sections of it. However, studies that deny some parts generally strengthen the theory as a whole. For example, even with adequate training of the immune system, tolerance was not achieved due to atopic individuals. These individuals are genetically predisposed to certain antigens, so not enough training would be done. Fortunately, methods to train the immune system are underway. Immunotherapy has been implemented before to completely redirect an individual's immune system from a T helper 2 response to a T helper 1 response. Allergies may be on the rise due to society's ideals of hyperclean environments, but the implementation of sufficient training of the immune system will discourage extreme allergies.