--- title: "Are Allergies and Asthma Inherited? | Sutter Health" description: "Are some allergies and asthma inherited? My sister and I seem to be allergic to the same foods and pollens. Also do children ever outgrow these conditions?" url: "/ask-an-expert/answers/are-allergies-asthma-inherited-1051061124" --- 1. Home / 2. Are Allergies and Asthma Inherited? # Are Allergies and Asthma Inherited? * * * Medically reviewed by - Ronald L. Brown, M.D. ## Question Are some allergies and asthma inherited? My sister and I seem to be allergic to the same foods and pollens. Also do children ever outgrow these conditions? ## Answer The tendency to be allergic is inherited, but the specific allergens that one is allergic to are not necessarily inherited. For instance, one family member can be allergic to pollen and another to dust mites, food or other allergens. If you were both allergic to the same pollens and foods, it would be a coincidence. Asthma is inherited, especially if it is triggered by an allergy. Children can sometimes "outgrow" asthma if they are not allergic also, but that is less likely if they are allergic. ## Explore related topics Breathing and allergiesChildren's healthGrowing Pains ## Related questions View all questions - Health Q&A ### Allergy and Cold Symptoms: How Are They Different? My 6-year-old daughter has recently been sneezing, coughing and is tired. How can I tell if this is caused by allergies or if it's a common cold? - Health Q&A ### Allergies Plus Shortness of Breath? I struggle with seasonal allergies and take Claritin, plus use a neti pot. This season, I have also had shortness of breath and light coughing, but no wheezing. It's hard to do my usual workouts. Is there some kind of inhaler I can use? - Health Q&A ### Asthma and Stress Correlation I have had asthma since childhood. As an adult, I find that when I'm really stressed or anxious, my asthma gets worse. Is there a correlation? 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View all questions ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalOrganization","name":"Sutter Health","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org","logo":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/static/images/sutter-health-logo.svg","address":{"@type":"PostalAddress","streetAddress":"2200 River Plaza Drive","addressLocality":"Sacramento","addressRegion":"CA","postalCode":"95833","addressCountry":"US"},"areaServed":{"@type":"AdministrativeArea","name":"California"},"sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/SutterHealth","https://www.instagram.com/sutterhealth/","https://x.com/SutterHealth","https://www.youtube.com/sutterhealth","https://www.linkedin.com/company/sutter-health","https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutter_Health"]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/are-allergies-asthma-inherited-1051061124#breadcrumblist","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Are Allergies and Asthma Inherited?"}]} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"MedicalWebPage","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/are-allergies-asthma-inherited-1051061124#medicalwebpage","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/are-allergies-asthma-inherited-1051061124","name":"Are Allergies and Asthma Inherited?","description":"The tendency to be allergic is inherited, but the specific allergens that one is allergic to are not necessarily inherited.","inLanguage":"en-US","medicalAudience":{"@type":"MedicalAudience","audienceType":"Patient"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/are-allergies-asthma-inherited-1051061124#breadcrumblist"},"mainEntity":{"@type":"Question","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/are-allergies-asthma-inherited-1051061124#question","name":"Are Allergies and Asthma Inherited?","text":"Are some allergies and asthma inherited? My sister and I seem to be allergic to the same foods and pollens. Also do children ever outgrow these conditions?","acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/are-allergies-asthma-inherited-1051061124#answer","text":"The tendency to be allergic is inherited, but the specific allergens that one is allergic to are not necessarily inherited. For instance, one family member can be allergic to pollen and another to dust mites, food or other allergens. If you were both allergic to the same pollens and foods, it would be a coincidence. Asthma is inherited, especially if it is triggered by an allergy. Children can sometimes \"outgrow\" asthma if they are not allergic also, but that is less likely if they are allergic.","url":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/are-allergies-asthma-inherited-1051061124","author":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/are-allergies-asthma-inherited-1051061124#expert"}}},"publisher":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/#medicalorganization"},"reviewedBy":{"@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/are-allergies-asthma-inherited-1051061124#expert"}} ``` ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"Person","@id":"https://www.sutterhealth.org/ask-an-expert/answers/are-allergies-asthma-inherited-1051061124#expert","name":"Ronald L. Brown","honorificSuffix":"M.D."} ```