Hay fever, with its attendant sneezing, runny nose and other allergy symptoms, is most commonly attributed to pollen and mites.
But it can also be triggered by contact with moths, cockroaches and other insects, according to a new medical study.
The study, based on information supplied by 20 medical institutions across Japan, is the first nationwide survey of its kind.
The results of the survey were presented Thursday at the opening of a meeting in Fukuoka of the Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Society of Japan.