What are the main allergy triggers?

There are more than 240 allergens, some rare and others very common. Who’d have though that barley, pigeon feathers, silk, egg yolk, horsemeat, vanilla and lentils could be allergens? It’s true.

But before you banish your parrot, throw away your shirt and give up lentils for Lent, find out what the major allergens are. The chances are good that you’re not allergic to the more obscure ones.

The major allergens are:

Grass pollens: Bermuda grass, Rye grass

Tree pollens: Oak, Olive, Eucalyptus, Acacia

Weed pollens: Mugwort, Sheep sorrell

Moulds: Cladosporium fumigatus, Alternaria alternata

Mites: Dermataphogoides pteronyssinus, Dermataphogoides farinae

Occupational hazards: Latex

cigarette smoke

Drug allergies: Penicilloyl G, Penicilloyl V, Amoxilloyl

Venoms: Honey bee

Insects: cockroach

Parasites: Acsaris (mainly in the Western Cape), Schistosoma (mainly in the north of the country).