Causes

Food Allergies

Food allergy symptoms are most common in babies and children, but they can appear at any age and range from mild to severe. These eight types of food account for about 90% of all reactions:¹

- eggs
- milk & dairy
- peanuts
- tree nuts
- fish
- shellfish
- wheat
- soy

INDOOR ALLERGIES

- Allergic rhinitis and allergic asthma are the most common manifestations of reactions to indoor allergens.³
- Your physician can help you identify things in your home, workplace or school that make your symptoms worse.²
- Avoiding allergens that cause symptoms is the most effective way to treat symptoms.²

The most common indoor allergens are:

- dust mites²
- pet allergen² 
- mold²
- chemicals³
- perfume³

OUTDOOR ALLERGIES

The most common outdoor allergens are:

- Pollen: Tree pollen often causes seasonal allergic rhinitis in early spring.⁴
- Air pollutants: As solid and liquid particles suspended in air. common in high-traffic areas.³
- Molds: are tiny fungi whose spores float in the air.⁴

ALLERGIC DISORDERS

Allergic Rhinitis (Hay fever):

Common symptoms:

- runny nose
- Itchy eyes, mouth or skin
- sneezing
- stuffy nose

What triggers hay fever?

Although the name suggests it, you don’t have to be exposed to hay to experience its allergic symptoms. Some common other triggers include:⁵

- pet hair
- dust mites
- mold
- cigarette smoke
- perfume
- diesel exhaust
- pollen

The two types of allergic rhinitis:

Seasonal

Symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis can occur in spring, summer, and early fall. They are usually caused by allergic sensitivity to airborne mold spores or to pollens.

Perennial

People with perennial allergic rhinitis experience symptoms year-round. it is generally caused by dust mites, pet hair or dander, cockroaches or mold.

Allergic rhinitis and asthma:

- Evidence clearly support a link between disease of the upper & lower airways.⁶
- Most patients with asthma either allergic or non allergic, have concurrent rhinitis.⁶
- 10-40% of patients with allergic rhinitis have asthma.⁶

Hives

Hives, also known as urticaria, can be triggered by many substances or situations and usually starts as an itchy patch of skin that turns into swollen red welts.

Common symptoms of hives:

- Raised itchy bumps, either red or skin-colored
- “Blanching” (when pressed, the center of a red hive turns white)

What triggers hives?

- food like peanuts, eggs, nuts and shellfish
- pet dander
- medications, such as antibiotics (penicillin and sulfa), aspirin and ibuprofen
- insect stings or bites
- physical stimuli, such as pressure, cold, heat, exercise or sun exposure
- blood transfusions
- bacterial infections, including urinary tract infections and strep throat
- viral infections, including the common cold, infectious mononucleosis and hepatitis
- pollen
- some plants