Intro:
Allergies are certainly no fun. In fact, some types of allergies tend to be super common. Allergies to pet dander, dust, soy, peanuts, pollen, and mold are, unfortunately, pretty common to run into on a daily basis. And guess what? Even though they suck, they’re still a fact of life.
Here’s the issue, though.
Not everyone understands that there are A LOT more different allergies to suffer from than just the most common examples listed above.
In fact, this may seem like a weird thing to consider—but some people may actually be afflicted with allergies that they previously had ZERO knowledge of.
(Talk about bad luck, eh?)
So in order to help you understand at least some of the risks, we decided to create an article about 5 strange allergies that everyone should be aware of.
Hey—if you’ve been suffering from some kind of ‘allergy’ reaction, and don’t really have a theory or explanation for it—this may help to answer the question.
Hopefully, you’ll never run into any of these—but you never know.
So let’s dive into it and explore some strange (but very real) allergies that everyone should know about.
1. A Leather Allergy
Yes, this is a strange one—but it’s very real.
As it turns out, some people get a ‘poison-ivy’ type of rash on their feet after wearing leather shoes, on their hands after handling purses, etc.
This type of allergy falls under the category of a ‘contact dermatitis’ type of allergy—and it isn’t always readily apparent why it happens.
But hey—it’s a real thing for some people.
2. An Allergic Reaction To Exercise
Ok. It’s fair to say that you may be tempted to call this one ‘nonsense’.
Sometimes, it really does seem like most people would ‘like to think’ that they’re allergic to doing push-ups and running laps—just to get out of the hard work.
But the truth of the matter is that this is a real allergy—albeit, a super rare one.
The phenomenon has only been reported in the medical literature about 1,000 times since the 1970s.
It’s pretty weird, right?
3. A Cannabis Allergy
Nowadays, cannabis and/or marijuana are often touted as being holistic, healthy, and basically wonderful for everyone.
Well, there’s a lot of truth to this sentiment. It is really good for you—in a large number of ways.
But it’s also true that cannabis can cause allergic reactions in some people.
Veriheal published an entire article on the topic—and they describe it like this:
“…cannabis can act as an allergen which then triggers “pollen-like allergy symptoms.””
Yikes!
Better keep a close eye on yourself after sparking up for your next joint—just in case you’re one of the ‘few’ who experiences this type of allergy.
4. Sun Allergy
In almost every respect, the sun is a wonderful addition to our human lifespan.
We actually truly need it to survive.
If it weren’t for the sun—life could never have even gotten started.
But unfortunately—some people are actually allergic to it.
This one even has a fancy name.
Solar Urticaria.
Thankfully, this is a pretty rare allergy.
It leads to hive-like symptoms, and can cause stinging and itching.
It’s believed that it’s caused by a sensitivity to UV light—but hey… who really knows?
It’s pretty rare.
5. An Allergy To Touch
Is it possible to be allergic to the physical touch of human skin?
This may sound like something from a weird fantasy or sci-fi story.
But in truth—it’s very real.
It’s called Dermographism, which is a word that’s derived from the meaning ‘skin writing.’
People with this allergy can actually write their name on their skin with their own fingers due to the hive-like reaction.
It’s actually pretty wild stuff.
Thankfully, it only affects about 4% of the population–so you’re unlikely to ever need to deal with it.
But it’s common enough that it’s pretty well documented. You can also develop a rash from this allergy by wearing tight clothing, or even by toweling off after a hot shower!
Conclusion
5 strange allergies that you may not have—but that are kind of neat (and helpful) to be aware of.
Of course, allergies are a huge pain. Hopefully, you won’t need to deal with any of these personally.
But at least now you know.
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