[Undertoad]

Originally Posted by Snakeadelic

It was diagnosed as an allergy multiple times starting when I was in my mid-teens

wull how long ago was that? They've figured more stuff out:

http://www.beyondallergy.com/indoor-...or-reality.php

In the early 80s, researchers assumed that smoke triggered an allergic reaction, because rats and rabbits exhibited such response in the presence of smoke. Furthermore, if we look at the plant of tobacco itself, in fact at least 3 allergens have been identified.

However, with further advances in science, it was possible to demonstrate that smoke does not initiate an allergic reaction in humans. Although symptoms may be identical to allergic rhinitis, technically, smoke is not an allergen, but an irritant that causes allergy-like symptoms. Allergens need to be protein-based for the body to recognise it as an intruder, but smoke only contains ash particles from burning the tobacco leaves (with any allergens present destroyed), which are not identified by your body as a true allergen, because they’re not made up of protein.

This is supported by the fact that people experiencing blocked nose and watery eyes after exposure to smoke do not get any relief for their condition with antihistaminic treatments.