22 Weird Things That Can Trigger Allergies

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Allergy season is here…but it’s not like it even matters. Because little do you know that 22 things you’re already doing, as in right now, could be triggering weird allergies and making you feel anywhere from (1) annoyed to (10) freaking miserable on the scale of pain. Before you blame the allergy season, make sure you’re not overdoing it in one of these daily activities.

1. Mobile Phones

Not only is there a possibly allergic reaction to nickel, but you also have low levels of radiation to worry about. Symptoms of allergic reaction could include dermatitis, urticari (red or white welts on your skin), redness and itchiness. Other symptoms could include headaches, fatigue and ringing in the ears. The proposed solution? Short-term relief from corticosteroids is the medical solution. Technology says using radiation shields via handless headsets or speaker phones might help. However, the ultimate solution would be talk to more people in person and fewer on the phone…yeah right, uh huh, sure, and maybe you could give up sex too.

2. Sex

Uh oh. It does seem as if sex can trigger allergies, even though what is called “human seminal plasma hypersensitivity” is actually an allergic reaction to semen, which would mean your girlfriend or wife (or both!) could develop rashes, burning sensation, hives, welts, and swelling. Solution is abstinence…or maybe stop showering.

3.Kissing

Kissing itself might also carry risk if the person you are kissing is actually bringing into your mouth banned medications, foods, and cosmetics that trigger allergies. In theory, if you had a peanut allergy and your girlfriend made out with you, you would absorb all the allergenic properties in her deadly kiss. Poison Ivy in real life. Solution, do it like a porn star.

4. Fruits

Also on the “avoid if you want to live list” is eating healthy, apparently. Pollen allergies can turn into oral allergy syndrome, which is triggered by eating a fruit that has the same protein as the pollen. The foods in question are everything you’re probably eating now, from bananas to tomatoes, apples, peaches and plums. Symptoms include itchy throat and mouth and lip swelling. The solution would be to eat more veggies and less fruit, since cooking and peeling the layers (as with vegetables) tends to minimize the allergens.

5. Alcohol

Well they already busted you for pot and sex, so of course, alcohol made the list. Studies show that alcohol, and especially red wine and beer, can trigger allergies in people sensitive to sulfites. Gluten, wheat, histamine, yeast and grape allergies are also possible irritants. Solution: you could be like more like Donald Trump and abstain from everything, just being a prick to everyone you meet in life.

6. Good Weather

The only thing left to take from you is good weather and a happy day. Turns out your allergies are more irritated by dry, sunshiny and breezy days. This means more pollen allergens in the air and the wind makes sure you have an increased risk of breathing them in. Solution: be more emo and spend time outside when it’s stormy and rainy, since this weather actually gets rid of a lot of pollen in the air.

7. Holiday Decorations

Hold on, we’re not actually saying celebrating Christmas makes Historically Accurate Jesus cry. We’re simply saying that scented candles, incense and a lot of cheap to moderately priced holiday decorations can irritate the lining lining of your nasal passages and eyelids and make your allergies worse. Solution: avoid too much décor and spend more time buying gifts for people, since that’s what they really remember.

8. Clothing

Wool clothing seems to irritate allergies as well as other rough and sticky fabric, since these seem to attract dust and pollen. Easy solution: wash more often in cold water or just go nude. (Preferably in private and not like, out in the streets)

9. Stress

Is this list stressing you out? Well that’s another irritant. Chronic stress increases your chances of being prone to nasal allergies. The Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology reported that higher-stressed people had 64 percent more flare ups than the mellow types.

10. Bathing or Showering at the Wrong Time

The problem is, pollen clings to your clothes, your skin and your hair. If you leave all this pollen on you as you go to bed, it stays with you and makes your symptoms worse. Ideally then, showering before you go to bed is better for allergies. Solution, shower twice like a rockstar or take a half-shower by only running water on your face in the morning.

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11. Too Much Pro-Mucus Food

Thickened mucus will only make your allergies worse, since it’s the opposite of clear and runny and what you need to feel better. Dairy products, milk, cheese, yogurt and others tend to make mucus thicker which leads to throat irritation.


12. Meat

Why not include your favorite pastime? Turns out, meat, along with other delicious foods like mushrooms, smoked fish, avocados (guacamole), sour cream and even vinegar promote histamine. Guess what causes seasonal allergy symptoms like sneezing and wheezing? Histamine-promoting foods!

13. Exercise

Sweating and huffing and elevating your heart rate (the goal of exercise) can make your symptoms worse if you have seasonal allergies. But the solution is not to avoid exercise! Rather, try to limit your activity to indoors. If you get an allergy shot, avoid strenuous exercise for about two hours after the initial injection. And quite logically, if you feel particularly bad at a certain time, then change the time you exercise and take advantage of your “peak hours” in the day.

14. Water

Now that we’ve established you can’t really go through life without some degrees of allergies, let’s go ahead and toss water in there. Turns out some people are allergic to water. They report symptoms like hives, lesions, welts or rashes. They may have to use capsaicin creams because of their ultrasensitive skin, presumably reacting to the additives in city water rather than the water itself. So relax…earth hasn’t turned against you. Yet.

15. Wool

Wool is known to be itchy, however what less people know is that it can trigger more serious allergic reactions. This is due to a natural substance called lanolin. To stay safe look for the label “lanolin-free”.

16. Used furniture

Used furniture is often filled with dust and even non-visible mold. Mold spores and dust mites can cause long lasting allergic reactions. If the piece of furniture is heavily contaminated it can even trigger asthma attacks. So when possible buy new furniture or know the past of the used furniture you are getting.

17. Laundry detergent and washing powder

This is big. Most detergents use a high number of irritant chemicals such as dyes and strong perfumes that can cause a lot of unpleasant physiological reactions. These can cause rashes, coughs and even headaches if you stay where clothes are being dried. You can try bio washing powders or ones without dyes and perfumes.

18. Chamomile tea

This is an unexpected one, however due to the strong scents and flavors some people show an immune system response to chamomile tea. People with hay fever are more likely to get it.

19. Household cleaner

Again because of the number of different chemicals in these products, it is not surprising that many people have allergic reactions to these. Not only skin reaction but also problems with breathing, throat swelling and even asthma attacks can occur. Just as with the laundry detergents, try to opt for bio alternatives.

20. Books

If someone says they are allergic to reading, it can be a real excuse. Books can collect a large amount of dust and when flipping through the pages, the dust particles become airborne and can be breathed in easily

21. Deodorant

Who says good hygiene is healthy? Sensitivity to perfumes, deodorant and or anti-perspirant can lead to symptoms like itchy redness, peeling skin, hives, painful pimples and even oozing lesions. Talcum or baby powder could be a substitute, as can natural deodorants which simply kill the bacteria rather than douse you with chemicals.

22. Smoking

Next on our progressively depressing list is, well, about everything you enjoy in life. Take smoking for instance. Sources such as The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology have put forth evidence that tobacco smoke exacerbates the people who have ragweed allergy; studies showed that it was up to 16.6 times higher in subjects exposed to secondhand tobacco smoke. Interestingly, the girl who everyone thought died from accidentally kissing the peanuts from her boyfriend’s mouth, Christina Desforges (RIP), actually died from second hand smoke which she took in at a marijuana and tobacco party. Cerebral anoxia (lack of oxygen to the brain) was her official cause of death.

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