Oral Allergy Syndrome: Are Fruits and Veggies Giving you an Itchy Mouth?

Spring is upon us and that means pollen allergies come out to play. If you’re one of many dealing with seasonal allergies, you’ll want to check out this post on Oral Allergy Syndrome…especially if you’ve ever noticed you have an itchy mouth this time of year.

Oral Allergy Syndrome

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What Is Oral Allergy Syndrome?

Oral Allergy syndrome, also known as Pollen Food Syndrome, is a mild allergic reaction to fruits and vegetables that have similar proteins found in certain pollens. Some of the most common foods that cause this type of syndrome can be found here:

Oral Allergy Syndrome Food List

Spring (trees)

  • Apples
  • Apricots
  • Carrots
  • Celery
  • Cherry
  • Kiwis

Summer (grasses)

  • Cantaloupe
  • Tomatoes
  • Watermelon
  • Honeydew

Fall (weeds)

  • Bananas
  • Zucchini
  • Cucumber
  • Peaches

What Are the Signs of Oral Allergy Syndrome aka Pollen Food Syndrome?

If you already experience allergic reactions to common pollen allergens AND are experiencing swelling of the mouth or lips, itchy roof of mouth, tongue, or throat, especially after eating raw food, then you might have Oral Allergy Syndrome. Keep in mind that reactions from Pollen Food Syndrome are always mild, so if your symptoms get worse then it’s always best consulting an allergist for further testing and treatment. And if you have difficulty breathing or experience an emergency, call 911 directly.

How to Treat Oral Allergy Syndrome

Although you can take oral antihistamine medications to relieve mild symptoms, avoiding raw foods that cross-react with your pollen allergies might be the best choice. Take another look at the list above to identify which foods cross react with each pollen. Usually it’s pretty easy to identify which raw food is triggering a reaction, but in case it’s not, you can always run an elimination diet with the help of your physician, so that you can figure out which foods you are reacting to. To learn more about elimination diets, check out our post: Our Eczema Elimination Diet Success (How You Can Do It Too!).

Lastly, if you can’t seem to avoid the fruit or veggies trigging your itchy mouth, you can always cook the food to degrade the protein that causes the allergy or peel off the skin of the fruit or veggie since many fruit and vegetable proteins are concentrated in the skin.

More About Seasonal Allergies:

For natural treatment of your allergies, make sure to check out our post: Top Natural Remedies for Allergies.

If you think pollen allergies may be causing your eczema to flare-up, which is very comment, check out this post: How To Determine if Pollen Is Making Your Skin Flare-Up: The Eczema and Allergies Connection.

 

1 Comment

  1. OLB on May 22, 2017 at 4:56 am

    Food allergy is a horrible condition. With only the challenge of avoidance and the inconvenience of carrying an epinephrine auto-injector, it is difficult to live a normal life without the constant fear of a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction. Wouldn’t it be a game-changer to have a potential cure for your food allergy or at least increase your tolerance so that an accidental exposure to a small amount would not result in anaphylaxis? OLLEREG is the treatment for your food allergy. With one spray twice daily and in less than one year, you will be on your way to living a normal life again.

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