TED Health What are allergies — and how to get rid of them with Dr. Zachary Rubin
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May 5, 2026 
Dr. Zachary Rubin, a double board-certified pediatrician and allergist-immunologist and author of All About Allergies, explains how immune miscommunication causes allergic reactions. He covers how allergies affect daily life, the science behind immunotherapy, the limits of at-home tests and viral health claims, alpha-gal from tick bites, and the role of climate and environment in worsening allergies.
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Allergic Response Is A Hyperactive System
- Allergies are a hyperactive immune response, not a weakness or moral failing.
- Even elite athletes can have asthma; Rubin cites 10–15% of Olympic athletes affected to illustrate it's common and non-disqualifying.
Desensitize Allergies With Immunotherapy
- Use immunotherapy (shots or drops) to desensitize environmental allergies by gradual controlled exposure.
- Shots deliver allergens near lymph nodes to retrain the immune system and are disease-modifying though not an absolute cure.
Be Skeptical Of At Home Allergy Tests
- Be cautious with at-home allergy tests; clinical history matters more than raw test results.
- Rubin warns high false positives can lead people to unnecessarily avoid many foods or spend large sums on useless tests.