Can You Outgrow Allergies as an Adult?

If you have allergies, you know they can make you miserable. But are they a problem for life, or can you grow out of allergies?

Allergist/immunologist Lily Pien, MD, explains the how and why of allergies changing over time.

Can allergies go away over time?

While you’ve probably heard that you can grow out of allergies, the reality is a little more complicated. It can vary based on what you’re allergic to — and what you mean by “outgrow.”

“Some people lose clinical symptoms to allergens over time,” Dr. Pien reports. “But not reacting to a trigger doesn’t always mean the underlying allergy or sensitivity is gone. In fact, you may test positive if you get a blood test or skin prick test.”

We also know that certain allergies are more likely to fade or disappear, while others tend to be with you all of your life.

Which allergies are most commonly outgrown?

Dr. Pein says that children sometimes lose allergies to:

• Medication allergies, like penicillin
• Certain food allergies, like milk, soy, eggs and wheat
• Mild allergic reactions to venom from insect stings

Allergies that are less likely to go away over time include:

• Certain food allergies, like peanuts, tree nuts, fish and shellfish
• Environmental allergies, like dust mites, pollen and mold spores

Why allergies may change over time

There are several (often overlapping) reasons that allergies can wax and wane with age.

If you’ve stopped being allergic to something, it could be because your:

• Immune system matured: Your immune system develops with age. As that happens, you may become less reactive to certain triggers, especially foods.
• Hormones have shifted: Your immune system changes in response to hormone fluctuations. Puberty, pregnancy, menopause and chronic health conditions that affect your hormones (like thyroid issues) can change your sensitivity.
• Overall health looks different: Dr. Pien says that certain health conditions can make allergy symptoms feel worse — and treating those conditions could make you feel better. If you get surgery to address chronic sinus infections, for example, your seasonal allergy symptoms may improve. But that doesn’t mean you lost the allergy.
• Exposure and sensitivity changed: Repeated exposure to an allergen sometimes changes the intensity of your immune system’s reaction, which can mean fewer unpleasant symptoms. But before you run out and buy that cat, keep in mind: Repeated exposure can also prolong or worsen allergy symptoms.
• Lifestyle or environment shifted: Moving out of state, changing careers, quitting smoking and addressing chronic stress are all examples of lifestyle and environmental changes that could cause your allergy burden to change.

So, do you outgrow allergies? Perhaps, yes. But as you can see, there are a lot of other reasons why your immune system may behave differently than it did when you were younger.

Signs you may have outgrown an allergy

“Don’t just assume that an allergy is gone based on a lack of symptoms,” Dr. Pien advises. “Talk to your allergist. They’ll assess you and — if needed — run tests to figure out what’s happened and whether it’s safe to reintroduce those triggers.”

Come to that appointment prepared to answer these questions:

• When were you diagnosed with the allergy?
• How long has it been since your last allergic reaction?
• What were the circumstances around that exposure? For example, how did it happen and how significant was the exposure?
• What were your symptoms like in the past?
• What are your symptoms like now?
• Have there been any significant life changes that could have affected your immune health?

Your provider will also want to know the details of your medical history. If possible, try to bring them any of your previous allergy testing or bloodwork results. That will help them figure out if you’ve outgrown your allergy.

Can you train your body not to be allergic?

You can’t exactly train your body not to be allergic, but immunotherapy and other treatments may help alleviate your symptoms — or prevent an allergy from developing in the first place.

“There has been a recent shift in how we manage pediatric food allergies,” Dr. Pien explains. “In a controlled environment, under a provider’s close supervision, we build your child’s tolerance slowly, offering increasingly larger amounts of an allergen. This approach may help children who are at risk for developing food allergies.”

But Dr. Pien stresses that it’s dangerous to DIY this kind of treatment.

“This is a new and evolving practice. You need to discuss the strategy carefully with your physician,” she emphasizes. “This approach is definitely not something you should try on your own at home.”