While any food could potentially cause allergies, the most common triggers include:

• Peanuts
• Eggs
• Cow’s milk (dairy)
• Tree nuts
• Wheat
• Soy
• Sesame seeds
• Seafood (e.g. fish, crustaceans and shellfish)

It is important to recognise that in some people, even the tiniest exposure to a trigger can cause an allergic reaction.

The insects most likely to trigger severe allergic reactions are stinging insects. Stinging insects inject venom when they sting the skin. This venom can cause anaphylaxis.

Stinging insects include:

• Bees
• Wasps
• Ants including Jack Jumper and Fire Ants

Anaphylaxis to biting insects (e.g. mosquitoes) happens rarely.

It is important to note that insect repellent is less likely to protect against stinging insects.

A latex allergy is an allergic sensitivity to the proteins in natural rubber latex (NRL). This reaction affects several systems throughout the body and often worsens with each exposure, potentially resulting in anaphylaxis.

Unlike synthetic latex, which rarely causes allergic reactions, NRL comes from the milky sap of rubber trees. Using various processing methods, NRL is used alone or in combination with other materials to make thousands of products including:

• Gloves
• Condoms and diaphragms
• Adhesive bandages
• Medical equipment such as stethoscopes, blood pressure cuffs, and tourniquets
• Elastic
• Balloons

It is important to recognise that there is an association between reactions to latex and some foods. If you are allergic to latex, you may also notice a reaction to banana, avocado, kiwi, or passionfruit.

Tell your doctor about any bad reactions you may have had to fruits and vegetables.

Both prescription and non-prescription or over the counter medicines or drugs, may cause an allergic reaction. Medicines that can cause anaphylaxis include:

• Penicillin and related antibiotics
• Antibiotics containing sulfonamide
• Aspirin, ibuprofen, and other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs
• Some antiseptics
• Anaesthetic medicines
• Complementary and alternative medicines
• Chemotherapy medicines

Sometimes anaphylaxis can occur without a known cause. This is called idiopathic anaphylaxis.