Project 365 - Gum Allergies (February 6, 2012)

Ever heard of anyone being allergic to gum?  (If you have, then you are an exception my friend)

Fate just has it that I only experience the weirdest of things in life, then again I am a little package of weirdness myself (you guys better not be laughing :p).  Anywho, I noticed I would get an itchy nose while chewing gum; in the beginning it only started as a little random itch, which later became pretty intense.  I was not sure if it is something I am eating or if it was just seasonal allergies.  After noticing it a few times, I realized it always happened when I would chew a piece of gum.  Just like anyone else would, I thought this is pretty ridiculous, it cannot be the gum.

There I was with my thinking cap on and my handy dandy laptop by my side, searching through the net.  After an intense session of research, along with the usual Facebook stalks, I was able to get my answer.  It is actually more common than one would consider it to be and the whole cause are the fumes produced while chewing the gum.  As we are chewing the gum, it forces the gum to release its flavors (which are artificially produced using different sorts of chemicals - not the toxic ones).

When we exhale, we send out the fumes through our nose; which causes an allergic reaction on the skin and makes it itch.

Long story short: I had to sacrifice being able to chew gum; but there are other alternatives, such as these mint strips.