50 Interesting Facts About Allergies

Actor Jason Mantzoukas (Dennis Feinstein in Parks & Rec) has a life-threatening allergy to eggs. Even a trace amount of egg will cause him to have a severe reaction. Once, while on set, he had to be taken to the hospital because of undisclosed egg whites in a parfait he ate.

27. Farm kids have both better immunity and resistance to allergies. Allergies among children have skyrocketed in the past 30 years. Part of the reason is likely improved hygiene and the fact so few kids are raised on farms anymore.

28. People can be allergic to pork, and it’s often referred to as Pork-Cat Syndrome because it’s often related to cat allergies.

29. Most people with a Latex Skin Allergy may also have numerous food allergies, including bananas, avocados, and kiwis because they are part of the rubber family.

30. Cats and a few other pets (dogs, hamsters, rats) can experience seasonal allergies to pollen and grass, and some have year-round allergies to fleas and dust mites. In rare cases, cats can even be allergic to other pets and to humans.

As Larry David grew richer from the success of Seinfeld, he developed an allergy to caviar, which he according to him “was the perfect metaphor for my life.”

32. Astronaut Harrison Schmitt, from the Apollo 17 mission, had a severe allergy to moon dust.

33. Food allergies can be treated and cured through oral immunotherapy (OIT). Nearly 80 percent of peanut-allergic preschool children successfully incorporated peanut-containing foods into their diets after receiving peanut OIT.

34. 97% of Americans are contaminated with a widely-used sunscreen ingredient called oxybenzone that has been linked to allergies, hormone disruption, and cell damage.

35. After millions of trees in the US died in the 1980s of Dutch Elm Disease, they were replaced by clonal males which lead to an increase in pollen and pollen-associated epidemics (allergies and asthma).

Diphenhydramine is marketed as both Benadryl (an allergy pill with a side effect of making one sleepy) and also Sominex (a sleeping pill with the side effect of helping one’s allergies).

37. Allergy to hazelnuts is the most common food allergy in Europe.

38. Having allergies can cause symptoms in the vagina just like your eyes and nose which causes most women to go to the doctor believing they have an infection. The test results are usually negative.

39. Insect allergies develop after the first sting. Therefore, the second sting in a person’s life is potentially the most dangerous.

40. Post orgasmic illness syndrome (POIS) is a chronic disorder in which a person develops flu-like and allergy symptoms after having an orgasm.

Epipens are just temporary relief for allergies. You still have to get to the hospital as soon as possible even after being administered an Epipen.

42. Antihistamines are linked to brain tumors, not because they do something unintended, but because the immune response behind allergies helps prevent cancer.

43. Eugene, Oregon has the highest pollen count in the US. When the Olympic Trials were held there in 1972, a contestant in the 1,500-meter race was flown in by helicopter due to allergies and won.

44. An immunologist named David Pritchard who suffered from severe allergies, in an effort to alleviate his symptoms, purposefully infected himself with hookworms. It worked and rid him of his allergies.

45. Highly refined peanut oil is refined to the point where all allergens (peanut protein) are removed and pose no threat to those with severe peanut allergies.

Laughter is the 2nd leading cause of asthma attacks behind exercise and ahead of all of the allergens.

47. If forced to eat certain foods during stressful times, your body can react as though the food is an allergen, even years afterward.

48. After a person is successfully treated for anaphylaxis (allergic reaction), they should still be monitored. 20% of patients will have a second episode of anaphylaxis within 72 hours, even without further exposure to the allergen. This can be fatal.

49. It is estimated 70% of the children with an egg allergy will outgrow it by the age of 16.

50. While 4-8% of people have at least one food allergy, a large proportion of people in developed countries believe they have food allergies when they actually do not have them.