I had never had a reaction to wool (my brother had a hat and blanket made of wool) until I went into the Navy.  The first day when we were given our bed linens, including a wool blanket, and the 80 of us recruits started to make our beds, I just about stopped breathing and had to be rushed to the medics (at that point we were not sure what actually caused the reaction).  Then the next day, the same thing happened and it was noted that it was when the wool blankets were being shaken that I started to have breathing difficulty and had hives start to break out on my ears, face, neck, arms, etc.  They could not keep me in the hospital and had to keep sending me back into this atmosphere.  I had to wear a mask over my nose and mouth, because even though I wasn't touching the wool, I would have a severe reaction just being there.  I was finally discharged after nine days of being there.  I have seen an Allergist and he says I do have a severe wool allergy and that he does not recommend attempting to de-sensitize me.  Now if someone is in the same area as me (I do not have to touch it) and they are wearing wool I will have a reaction that starts with hoarseness, then difficulty breathing, hives, and so on.  Since I have been home for about a year and a half I have had to go to the emergency room 3 times and now carry an EPI Pen.  My question is since I was in the concentrated atmospere of wool, is that what caused me to start having an Allergy to wool?