ILLUSTRATIONS: ADAM GALE
An estimated 25–40 per cent of people worldwide suffer from allergic rhinitis, a condition that causes inflamed nasal mucous membranes. Now, scientists think they know the cause of this perpetual sniffling: people with allergies have different fungi in their noses.
This may be somewhat repulsive to hear, but we all have nose fungi. They make up our nasal mycobiome – the community of fungal microorganisms found in our nostrils and sinuses. Our bodies rely on microscopic organisms for essential roles such as boosting our immune systems and fighting off harmful pathogens.