The Most Common Causes of Allergies:

• Pollen: Plant pollens from trees, plants, grass, and weeds are disseminated by wind currents. These are the most difficult allergens to avoid entirely and include pollen from many different tree varieties such as birch, olive, mulberry, oak, western red cedar, elm, ash, hickory, poplar, sycamore, maple, cypress and walnut. Pollinating grasses include timothy, bermuda, orchard, sweet vernal, red top and blue grass. Pollinating weeds include ragweed, sagebrush, pigweed, tumbleweed, Russian thistle and cockleweed.
• Mold spores: There are literally thousands of molds that can cause human allergic reactions. Microscopic mold spores can easily bypass the protective mucous of the ears, nose, throat, and lungs, leading to major allergies. Mold allergy can also be triggered by eating foods made with fungi, such as cheeses and pickled foods. Mushrooms, dried fruits, soy sauce, vinegar, or foods containing yeast can produce allergic symptoms from mold. Additionally, disruptions in the environment can cause a dramatic increase in mold production, and allergies. For example, mold overgrowth after Hurricane Katrina triggered “Katrina Cough” in humans.
• Medications: There are thousands of drugs on the market. An allergic reaction to medication is individual to the person taking a specific medication. Discontinuing use of the medication that causes the allergic reaction usually suffices. In some cases, medications such as penicillin can cause anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic reaction. Other common allergy-causing medications include sulfonamides (any medication containing sulfa), salicylates (the main ingredient found in aspirin), and anesthetics.
• Foods: Severe allergic reactions to foods have increased over the last several decades. Allergy-producing foods include (but are certainly not limited to) nuts; peanuts (which are actually legumes); sesame; seafood; egg whites; soybeans and soy products; milk and milk products; gluten in rye, wheat, and barley; and corn. It’s important to keep in mind that food allergies are very unique, and some people may be allergic to a wide variety of foods.
• Insects and animals: Insect bites from bees, wasps, and ants can cause life-threatening allergic reactions in some people. If you’re allergic to bees, avoid all products that contain bee pollen. Allergies can also be triggered by cockroach waste and dust mite excretion. Pet hair and dander can also be major allergy culprits.
• Latex: Certain people are highly allergic to latex. If so, make sure your healthcare professional knows that you’re allergic to latex to avoid exposure from medical equipment. Medical supplies and equipment may contain latex, such as rubber gloves, and tubing, for example.
• Chemicals: The exponential use of chemicals in our modern-day society has contributed to the increased allergy potential. Thousands of chemicals are introduced into our environment daily with little known information about their toxicity to humans.

How do you get allergies in the first place?

The allergic response can be hereditary... If anyone in your family has trouble with allergies, then it’s more likely that you’ll experience allergies as well. You don’t inherit a response to a particular allergen; rather, you inherit the likelihood that you’ll have a hypersensitive immune system.

A cleaner society often means more allergies... Levels of asthma have increased in affluent societies, whereas they have not kept up the same pace in less industrialized nations. One hypothesis for this discrepancy is the “hygiene hypothesis.” As people become cleaner by introducing major sanitation practices, the prevalence of allergies and asthma tend to increase. That’s because a cleaner society — which takes advantage of sanitation technologies, disinfectants, antibacterial products, and antibiotics — wipes out the many “good bugs” (like probiotics, for instance) needed to maintain a healthy and robust immune system.

Artificially removing healthy microorganisms from the environment disrupts the relationship between humans and “good bugs” essential for optimal health.

The overuse of antibiotics can lead to allergies... Recent research indicates that a disruption in intestinal flora due to the overuse of antibiotics may lead to changes throughout the entire immune system. Therefore, food sensitivities and allergies may increase.

The decline in breastfeeding can increase the allergy potential... The decline in breastfeeding and natural childbirth translates to weaker immune systems and an increase in allergy potential. Breast milk contains important antibodies from the mother that help the newborn develop a healthy, robust immune system. There is simply no infant formula on the market that can provide all the immune benefits of breast milk. Breastfed babies are generally healthier babies. 

More chemicals in our environment means more allergies... Today, there are thousands of new chemicals in our environment introduced since World War II that are rarely tested for their toxicity to humans.

New biotechnologies are posing new allergy threats... Genetically modified soybeans, corn, tomatoes, potatoes, and rice have entered our food supply and have become a source of controversy with regards to human allergies. GMO foods have a cascading effect. For instance, GMO feed is given to animals which we then consume. Alterations in the way we feed animals may have a direct impact on human health. The complex effects of GMO foods on human health are understudied to date.

Additional Information about Allergies:

1. Allergies Overview
2. Common symptoms of allergies
3. Natural and alternative treatments for allergies
4. Dietary and lifestyle recommendations that may help in the treatment of allergies
5. Conventional or prescription medications used in the treatment of allergies
6. Cited Sources and Additional Reading for allergies