Although many substances have the potential to cause anaphylaxis, the most common triggers are foods and insect stings (e.g. yellow jackets, hornets, wasps, honey bees). The most common food allergens that cause anaphylaxis are:
- Milk
- Egg
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts (almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, hazelnuts, macadamia nuts, pecans, pine nuts, pistachios, walnuts)
- Sesame
- Soy
- Wheat
- Seafood
- Fish, e.g. trout, salmon
- Shellfish
- Crustaceans, e.g. lobster, shrimp, crab
- Mollusks, e.g. scallops, clams, oysters, mussels
- Mustard
Medications and exposure to natural rubber latex can also cause potentially life-threatening allergic reactions. A less common cause of anaphylaxis is exercise, which in some individuals can be triggered by the prior ingestion of a specific food which is not normally a problem. In some cases of anaphylaxis, the cause is unknown (‘idiopathic’).
