Allergy Reason

Allergy Reason

From Big Picture Science by Big Picture Science

May 18, 2026 · 54 min

About this episode

The episode discusses the increasing prevalence of allergies and how hygiene, diet, and pollution affect our bodies.

Runny nose. Itchy, watery eyes. Sneezing. If you don’t have allergies, you probably know someone who does. The number of people with allergies, including food allergies and eczema, is increasing. What is going on? A medical anthropologist describes how our hygiene habits, our diets, and our polluted environment are irritating our bodies. Also, the case for skipping your shower. Is skin healthier when we stop lathering? Guests: James Hamblin – Preventive medicine physician and a lecturer in public health at Yale and author of Clean: the New Science of Skin Theresa MacPhail – medical anthropologist, professor of science and technology studies at Stevens Institute of Technology and author of Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World. Descripción en español originally aired July 3, 2023 Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact advertising@airwavemedia.com to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science. You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

People in this episode

Host: Big Picture Science

Guests: James Hamblin, Theresa MacPhail

Topics covered

  • allergies
  • hygiene
  • diet
  • pollution
  • skin health
  • medical anthropology

Keywords

  • allergies
  • hygiene
  • skin health
  • pollution
  • medical anthropology
  • diet
  • eczema

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Yale, Stevens Institute of Technology

Books & works: Clean: the New Science of Skin, Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World

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