Penicillin is made from molds. Mold spores are carried by the wind and predominate in the summer and early fall. In warm climates they thrive year round. Cutting grass, harvesting crops, or walking through tall vegetation can provoke a reaction. People who repair old furniture are also at risk.
Foods also can provoke allergic reactions.
Some of the most common allergenic foods include chocolate, dairy products, eggs, shellfish, strawberries, and wheat. Food allergies and food intolerances are not the same thing. A person with a food intolerance is unable to digest and process that food correctly, usually due to a lack of a certain enzyme or enzymes. A food allergy, on the other hand, occurs when a person's immune system generates an antibody response to the ingested food. Food intoler-ance can lead to allergy, however, if particles of undigested food manage to enter the bloodstream and cause a reaction.