While your typical run of the mill allergies come from the pollen of trees and grass, these are other things out there that can give you a case of watery eyes, runny nose and rash. There are some everyday household items out there which you might not have even thought of, that are known allergy triggers.

Let us take a look at 11 notorious allergy triggers that just may be hanging around your home causing you trouble.

1. Candles: While they are nice and romantic and well as aromatic, they can also inflame your nasal cavities and give you a runny nose and watery eyes.  If you experience this while near a burning candle, try moving the candle, or at least yourself, to a more ventilated area. If you feel the need to get all romantic, try a scent like pumpkin, which is generally more tolerated.
2. Perfume: Perfumes are generally chocked full of hundreds of different chemicals and when these chemicals are mixed with essential oils and put into the air they may cause sneezing, congestion and headaches to those who have sensitivities. While asking those around you to quit wearing their favorite perfume or lotions may be tough, give it try. A small fan in your office or vehicle might also help.
3. Soaps and detergents:  If you feel itchy after you just washed your clothes or bathed, you might want to consider switching soaps. The cleaning agent itself is usually not to blame, but rather the perfume additive. Look for “no additives”, “unscented”, “hypoallergenic” or “phthalate free” on the label. Dove Soap is a good option when bathing and instead using a perfumed static cling sheet, look for a scent free, no additive one ( a piece of aluminum foil will also work to prevent cling).
4. Stuffed Animals: You might not be able to go to sleep without Teddy, but please realize that Teddy is probably laden with dust mites which cause allergies in 15% of the population. Washing him in hot water once month will help kill them off, so will putting them in a plastic bag in a freezer for a few hours. Keeping him on a shelf above the bed is a even better idea.
5. Carpet: The dastardly dust mites also love to hang around in carpeting and will not leave you alone no matter how many times you vacuum. Ripping out the carpeting and replacing it with wood or tile is the best solution. Using area rugs will help you keep your tootsies warm; just remember to wash them monthly. Dust mites also love humidity, so do your best to keep it around 50%.
6. Spices: While they made add a little zing and zip to your nosh, many spices also come from pungent plants and can be responsible  for a case of the sniffles, swelling of the nasal passages, itching and burning of the lips. Coriander, poppy seeds, pepper, dill, paprika, cumin and saffron are some of the more troublesome spices around so you might want to avoid dishes with a Eastern flair. If you are not sure which spices give you trouble, start a little food journal, writing down what you ate every time you have an attack in order to find a common thread.
7. X-mas Trees: While Christmas trees are a nice nostalgic touch, they are also a place where mold can develop, especially a tree sitting in a bucket of water.   A fake tree may be a good option, but if you feel like keeping it real, get a fresh cut tree that has not been sitting around collecting mold already, and be a little stingy with the water. And, for god sakes do not wait until Easter to toss it.
8. Wall paint: Paint has solvents and synthetic resins that can make your eyes itch and give you headaches. Oil based paints are even worse, since they continue to release chemicals even after they dry. If you do need to add a fresh coat of paint to a room, open up the windows and keep the air circulating as you work. You might want to keep up with the extra ventilation for up to a month after the new paint job. Look for paints with low levels of VOC’s. This will help, but not totally eliminate the problem.
9. Alcohol: While an outright allergy to alcohol is rare, you can have a reaction to the grains and additive used to make your favorite liquor. Wheat and sulfur dioxide are known to cause stuffy noses and rashes and other grains like corn, barley and rye can also cause trouble. Try drinking grain free liquors like tequila, rum, or potato vodka and skip liqueurs with added flavoring.  Alos, look for sulfite free wines.
10. Blue jean Buttons: These guys are usually made from nickel which can trigger an itchy red rash that can develop into a blister. Replace the button with a plastic one, or if you do not happen to have the skills of a seamstress, try coating it with a little bit of clear nail polish. 
11. Lemon and limes: The compound limonene, which is found in these citrus fruits can bring about watery eyes and a burning nose. Limonene can even irritate your skin if you touch, eat or dring products that contain it. Treat these rashes with hydrocortisone creams, and watch what you eat, making sure that it does not contain any lemon or lime.

So that completes the list of the lesser known allergy causes. So keep your eyes open and your wits about you, and you just may find what is causing that mysterious outbreak.

1 in 7 people have a pollen allergy. Pollen is produced by flowering plants as part of their reproductive process. They are egg shaped males cells which are released so that they may find their way to the stigma and bear fruit.  Wind Pollination is one way that many types of trees, weeds and grasses like to reproduce. Plants that pollinate via wind have little dangling structures called anthers, in which the wind blows through and captures the pollen.

During certain times, large amounts of pollen can be released through the air, landing everywhere with the hopes of a few making to the receptive stigma.  However, instead of making to the female organ of the plant, a lot of this pollen can end up being breathed in or landing in people eyes causing allergic reactions.  The amount of pollen in the air at any given time depends upon the time of day and the type of weather, with windy warm conditions being the most ideal time for plants to release it. The pollen count that you may see listed on your morning news show is a prediction for the total amount of pollen in the air for that day.

A pollen grain contains 30 to 40 different proteins on its exterior coat which helps the stigma determine whether it is a correct pollination match. When people inhale these pollen grains, or if they happen to land in the eyes, these proteins are discharged just like they would be if the pollen had made it to the stigma. Normally, the immune system would attack these foreign proteins and discard them. However, sometimes the immune system fails to recognize these foreign invaders for what they are, and instead a process occurs in which histamine is released. It is histamine that is responsible for the symptoms of the allergy.  Pollen allergy symptoms include stuffy noses, itchy eyes, headaches, sore throat and difficulty breathing.

The pollen count is usually strongest between the middle of October to the end of March, although it is dependent upon the climate of the region.  Trees start to flower in spring, with the flowering time for each tree lasts a few weeks and the peak pollinating period lasting a couple of days. Grasses come in many varieties and each has their own pollinating period between mid-December and mid-March.

Ways to reduce exposure to pollen

Since pollen likes to cling to clothes, skin and hair, taking a shower and changing your clothes after going outside Is a good way to reduce allergies. Staying indoors in the mornings between the hour of 5 and 10 a.m. is another good way to avoid allergies. Also, it might be wise to stay inside during especially dry or windy days. If you need to work outside, wear a protective mask. Vacuum regularly with a vacuum that takes up all the airborne particles and use a good are purifier to keep the air inside clean. The herbal supplements Echinacea and dandelion have also been known to help.

Doing research on what types of plants cause your allergies and when they are pollinating will help you know when to avoid the outdoors and stay inside with the windows closed and the air conditioner running, There Is nothing to worry about before or after the pollination period, and once you learn which plants are wreaking havoc on allergies, it might even be safe to take a stroll through the woods.

A food allergy happens when your immune system erroneously targets a specific food protein leading to problems with digestion and the consequential discharge of certain chemicals which leads to an allergic reaction. Food allergy symptoms can range from a mild headache to something more serious such as asthma depending on what type of food your body is reacting to.

Different foods cause different symptoms:

• Asthma is generally caused by  a allergy to  eggs and flour
• Children tend to get allergies from wheat, milk, eggs, colas, beef, peanuts, chocolates and rye.
• Headaches and migraines are caused by alcohol, peanuts, chocolates, milk, eggs, dairy, tomatoes, and wheat.
• Eczema can show up because of oranges, tomatoes, grapes, and eggs,
• Nasal Allergies can crop up when you have allergies to chocolate, milk, wheat, nuts or colas.
• Hives can be caused by mangos, strawberries, tomatoes, eggs, and chocolate.
• Fatigue is triggered by wheat, corn, milk and soy.

You may have also noticed the prevalence of eggs in the above list of symptoms and causes.  Egg allergies are a very common, so make sure that you read labels carefully if you happen to display an allergic reaction to egg products.

A word on peanut allergies

A peanut allergy is one of the most common, as well as most lethal allergies that people can get. Allergy cases involving peanuts have actually doubled over the past few years triggering alarm within the allergist community. If you feel your body reacting abnormally in anyway after consuming food that contains peanuts it is important that you discontinue eating peanuts and see your doctor to help clarify whether or not you have a allergy to peanuts.

Causes

Food allergies can be caused by many different factors including environment and genetics. Here are a few of the most common causes of food allergies.

Toxins

When you consume food that is contaminated with pollutants and toxins your body reacts by creating antibodies in order to rid itself of the bad foodstuffs within the system. This abrupt defensive action on your body’s part ends up creating allergic reactions and symptoms.

Difficult bowel syndrome

Roughly 6% of people on the planet suffer from difficult bowel syndrome. Bad bowels can be very treacherous and lead to pain and discomfort when digesting certain foods.  This pain is sometimes falsely interpreted as an allergy. However, this pain and discomfort could trigger your body to respond by creating antibodies thus giving the person a food allergy.

 More and More research is being done about yeast, and other food allergies and intolerance's.And, more and more symptoms are being identified.Symptoms that for years were attributed to other causes.Eliminating Yeasty foods will improve your health and could lessen or even eliminate some or all of these symptoms and diseases: