Surprisingly Ordinary Allergy Triggers

Pollen is the number one enemy for folks with seasonal allergies, but these factors can make a bad day worse.

- Alanna Nuñez and Lauren Gelman

Celery

You may already know that peaches and apples can exacerbate symptoms in people with pollen allergies, but it turns out that celery can as well. Both cooked and uncooked celery can cause swelling of the throat, lips, and tongue, so if you have a pollen allergy, you’ll probably want to steer clear. And be sure to read the labels on packaged foods—celery is often an ingredient in soups and salad dressings.

Wearing Shoes at Home

In addition to tracking in dirt and mud, you can track in pollen when you wear your shoes into your house, Mark Dykewicz, MD, told everydayhealth.com. If you’re prone to allergies, Dr. Dykewicz, a professor in the allergy and immunology division at Saint Louis University School of Medicine, recommends not only taking off your shoes when you get home but also throwing them (and everything else you are wearing) into the washing machine ASAP.

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