Spring is in the air—and sadly, so are the miserable allergies that come with it. Affecting at least 35 million of us, spring allergies kick in when our body gets a little confused. The immune system mistakes pollen for harmful substances that it needs to get rid of, and in reaction, it releases histamines that cause the watery eyes, sneezing fits and forever-runny nose we know too well.

The good news? This allergic response is actually a sign of an active immune system, and research has found that allergy sufferers have lower rates of many types of cancers. So as annoying as allergies are—at least you can keep your sniffy, sneezing head up with pride on that note.

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