Do you have allergies when you eat fresh fruit, nuts or vegetables? If your answer is yes, you may be having oral allergy syndrome. Oral allergy syndrome is common among people who have pollen allergies.
Oral allergy syndrome is caused when your immune system mistakes the protein in the fruits, nuts and vegetables with the protein found in pollen. Cooking, freezing, or baking fruits, vegetables breaks down the proteins present in them, and they do not cause an allergic reaction.
Symptoms of Oral Allergy Syndrome:
After consuming fruits, vegetables and nuts, you would have swelling, itching, burning, and tingling sensation around the mouth, lips and tongue. Most people experience only mild reactions. However, about 9 percent may experience severe symptoms and about 2% can experience anaphylaxis.
Raw fruits and vegetables cause oral allergy syndrome. Nuts, however, can cause allergies even if they are cooked or raw.
Pollen and Food Associations:
If you are allergic to certain pollen, you are most likely to be allergic to certain raw fruits and vegetables. The pollen and food associations are as follows:
- Ragweed: You can be allergic to bananas, watermelon, cantaloupe, honeydew, and gourd (zucchini, squash, and cucumber)
- Birch: You can be allergic to apples, plums, peaches, kiwi, apricots, hazelnuts, celery, potatoes, carrots, and cherries
- Grass pollen: You can be allergic to tomatoes, oranges, potatoes, peaches
- Mugwort: carrots, celery, peppers and other spices
Skin testing is used to diagnose Oral Allergy Syndrome in a patient. For this kind of allergy, avoiding the foods which cause allergy is recommended. Cooking, processing, freezing can also help you to avoid allergy.
Allergy shots can also provide relief for those suffering from Oral Allergy Syndrome.
