List of allergens
This is a list of allergies, which includes the allergen, potential reactions, and a brief description of the cause where applicable.
Allergens
Food
| Name | Potential reaction | Remarks |
| Balsam of Peru | Redness, swelling, itching, allergic contact dermatitis reactions, stomatitis, cheilitis, pruritus, hand eczema, generalized or resistant plantar dermatitis, rhinitis, conjunctivitis, and blisters. | Present in many foods, such as coffee, flavored tea, wine, beer, gin, liqueurs, apéritifs, soft drinks including cola, juice, citrus, citrus fruit peel, marmalade, tomatoes and tomato-containing products, Mexican and Italian foods with red sauces, ketchup, spices, chili sauce, barbecue sauce, chutney, pickles, pickled vegetables, chocolate, vanilla, baked goods and pastries, pudding, ice cream, chewing gum, and candy. |
| Buckwheat | Asthma, rhinitis, pruritus, gastrointestinal disturbances, urticaria, angioedema, shock, anaphylaxis | Allergenicity is highest in Japan and Korea.It’s estimated that buckwheat causes 5% of all immediate-type allergic reaction cases in Japan. Hazard extends to inhalation of milled flour particles. Irrespective of the nomenclature, it is not a wheaten cereal; the name refers to it’s viability as a pseudocereal. Relating or conflating BW-allergy with wheat-allergy or Triticeae hypersensitivities should be avoided. |
| Egg | Anaphylaxis, swelling, sometimes flatulence and vomiting | An allergic individual may not have any reaction to consuming food only prepared with yolk and not glair, or vice versa. |
| Fish | Respiratory reactions, Anaphylaxis, oral allergy syndrome, sometimes vomiting | One of three allergies to seafood, not to be conflated with allergies to crustaceans and mollusks. Fish allergy sufferers have a 50% likelihood of being cross reactive with another fish species, but some individuals are only allergic to one species, such as; tilapia, salmon, or cod. A proper diagnosis is considered complicated due to these cross reactivity between fish species and other seafood allergies. Hazard extends to exposure to cooking vapors or handling. |
| Fruit | Mild itching, rash, generalized urticaria, oral allergy syndrome, abdominal pain, vomiting, anaphylaxis | Mango, strawberries, banana, avocado, and kiwi are common problems. Severe allergies to tomatoes have also been reported. Stone fruits are highly cross-reactive with one another. |
| Garlic | Dermatitis, asymmetrical pattern of fissure, thickening/shedding of the outer skin layers, anaphylaxis | |
| Hot peppers | Skin rash, hives, throat tightness, tongue swelling, possible vomiting | |
| Oats | Dermatitis, respiratory problems, anaphylaxis | - |
| Maize | Hives, pallor, confusion, dizziness, stomach pain, swelling, vomiting, indigestion, diarrhea, cough, tightness in throat, wheezing, shortness of breath, anaphylaxis | Often a difficult allergy to manage due to the various food products which contain various forms of corn. |
| Milk | Skin rash, hives, vomiting, diarrhea, constipation, stomach pain, flatulence, nasal congestion, dermatitis, blisters, anaphylaxis | Not to be confused with lactose intolerance. |
| Peanut | Anaphylaxis and swelling, sometimes vomiting | Includes some cold-pressed peanut oils. Distinct from tree nut allergy, as peanuts are legumes. |
| Poultry Meat | Hives, swelling of, or under the dermis, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, severe oral allergy syndrome, shortness of breath, rarely anaphylactic shock | Very rare allergies to chicken, turkey, squab, and sometimes more mildly to other avian meats. Not to be confused with secondary reactions of bird-egg syndrome. The genuine allergy has no causal relationship with egg allergy, nor is there any close association with red meat allergy. Prevalence still unknown as of 2016. |
| Red Meat | Hives, swelling, dermatitis, stomach pain, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, fainting, shortness of breath, rarely anaphylaxis | Allergies to the sugar carbohydrate found in beef, venison, lamb, and pork called alpha-gal. It is brought on by tick bites. Allergic reaction to pork is an exception, as it may also be caused by pork-cat syndrome instead of alpha-gal allergy. |
| Rice | Sneezing, runny nose, itching, stomachache, eczema. | People with a rice allergy can be affected by eating rice or breathing in rice steam. |
| Sesame | Possible respiratory, skin, and gastrointestinal reactions which can trigger serious systemic anaphylactic responses. | By law, foods containing sesame must be labeled so in European Union, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Increasing prevalence has lead to it being deemed the ninth most common food allergen in the United States in 2019. Highest prevalence by age was among 18-29 year olds and an estimated 80% of all sesame-allergic patients had a comorbid food allergy. As of 2020 the US has yet to require labeling of products containing sesame. |
| Shellfish | Respiratory symptoms, Anaphylaxis, oral allergy syndrome, gastrointestinal symptoms, rhinitis, conjunctivitis | Shellfish allergies are highly cross reactive, but its prevalence is generally higher than that of fish allergy. As of 2018 six allergens have been identified to prawn alone; along with crab it's the major culprit of seafood anaphylaxis. In reference to it as one of the “Big 8” or “major 14” allergens it is sometimes specified as a “crustacean shellfish” allergy, or more simply, a “crustacean allergy”. Sometimes it is conflated with an allergy to molluscan shellfish but complete tolerance to one but not the other isn't uncommon. Most usually, a mono-sensitive individual will experience a crustacean allergy alone with tolerance to mollusks, rather than vice versa. |
| Soy | Anaphylaxis, asthma exacerbation, rhinitis, allergic conjunctivitis, hives, atopic dermatitis, swelling of, or under the dermis, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting | Overall is lower in prevalence than both peanut allergy & cow’s milk allergy. However, due to similar protein structures soya is a common cross-reactive allergen in both peanut-allergic individuals and milk-allergic individuals; especially infants. |
| Sulfites | Hives, rash, redness of skin, headache, burning behind eyes, asthma-like breathing difficulties, anaphylaxis | Used as a preserving agent in many different foods, such as raisins, dried peaches, various other dried fruit, canned or frozen fruits and vegetables, wines, vinegars and processed meats. |
| Tartrazine | Skin irritation, hives, rash | Synthetic yellow food coloring, also used for bright green coloring |
| Tree nut | Anaphylaxis, swelling, rash, hives, sometimes vomiting | Hazard extends to exposure to cooking vapors, or handling. Distinct from peanut allergy, as peanuts are legumes. |
| Wheat | Eczema, Hives, asthma, hay fever, angioedema, abdominal cramps, Celiac disease, diarrhea, temporary mental incompetence, anemia, nausea, and vomiting | Not to be confused with Celiac Disease or NCGS. While wheat allergies are "true" allergies, Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease. |
Medical
Environmental
Contact
Many substances can cause an allergic reaction when in contact with the human integumentary system.| Allergen | Source | Cross reacts with | Clinical presentation |
| Dimethylaminopropylamine | Found within cocamidopropyl betaine in liquid soaps and shampoos | Eyelid dermatitis | |
| Latex | Avocado Banana Chestnut Kiwi Passion fruit Peach Mango Pineapple Fig Cantaloupe Apple Papaya Ethylene-ripened fruits | ||
| Paraphenylenediamine | Black hair dye Color developer Scuba gear Henna | Para-aminobenzoic acid Azo dyes Sulfonamides Sulfonylureas Thiazides Ester anesthetics | |
| Glyceryl monothioglycolate | Permanent hair waving solutions | ||
| Toluenesulfonamide formaldehyde | Nail polish | Eyelid dermatitis |