So here is an interesting article, "It's the gut, stupid!" from Infection & Immunity: 73(1), January 2005. Researchers reporting in this article have linked allergies to oddness in the bacteria content of your gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Apparently taking lots of antibiotics will wipe out your normal bacteria. And apparently a somewhat different mix is what grows back, at least for a short time. As I have pointed out in the past, the appendix, possibly along with other parts of the GI tract, is responsible for exposing the immune system to foreign material, to help "teach" it what is harmful. So with your GI tract all weirded out by the antibiotics, they can make mice far more likely to develop allergies. This is interesting on a personal note because I was taking enough anti-biotics as a child, due to frequent (approximately one a month) sinus infections, to become immune to some of them. Perhaps this is why I'm allergic to dust, dogs, and pollen? It boggles the mind.
