Posted 4/8/2009 6:16 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Breathless,
I found the resource below, online. I don't know if this is the kind of allergy you're interested in, but I thought it was good information. I actually have that problem when I eat peaches with the skin on.
It's an interesting article in any case.
Good luck with your allergies!
Denise
Have you ever eaten a piece of fruit or a particular vegetable, probably something that you have always eaten before, and your mouth begins to itch? Maybe you bite into a juicy kiwi and suddenly your lips or your tongue begin to itch or perhaps your whole mouth itches after eating your favorite chips with guacamole. This sounds like a food allergy, but instead, it may very well be what is known as Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS). This syndrome actually differs from a food allergy and is very closely connected with pollen and seasonal allergies.
about 70% of people who suffer from pollen allergies, especially hay fever, experience Oral Allergy Syndrome. Usually the foods that bring on the allergy like symptoms are connected to the type of pollen allergy the person has. For example, those with springtime allergies due to tree pollen may find their mouths itch when they eat plums, peaches or apples, while those with ragweed allergies may have trouble with melons and cucumbers. For a more comprehensive list of the combinations of foods and seasonal allergies, see here.
Symptoms of OAS (Oral Allergy Syndrome) are usually more common and more severe during the connected allergy season. Though OAS is quite common, only a very small percentage of people with OAS find that the symptoms include anything more than itchy mouth or lips, and they usually last no longer than a few minutes, sometimes just seconds, unlike a true food allergy. Very rarely do the symptoms advance to hives, nausea or other food allergy symptoms. Anaphylaxis is rarely seen with Oral Allergy Syndrome.
Whereas those with a true food allergy should avoid the food that brings on symptoms altogether due to the much higher occurrence of severe reactions, those with Oral Allergy Syndrome can actually have the food, but to avoid the discomfort of the itchy mouth and lips, it should be baked or cooked first. Heating works to break down the molecules that cause the symptoms, and cooking does include canned and processed fruits, as well, like applesauce and canned peaches. Also, some people with OAS find that peeling the fruit works, or eating it directly after it is picked. The riper the fruit is, the worse the symptoms may be as well.
Oral Allergy Syndrome is also called Pollen Food Syndrome, due to the pollen connection. If treatment is sought, which usually is not due to the mild symptoms it produces, shots or NAET can be used. The treatment, however, needs to involve the pollen, not the fruit, as it is the pollen that is the cause of the reaction. For the mild discomfort during a reaction, an OTC antihistamine is the best choice for relief.
- Heather Legg
FRUITS, VEGETABLES, AND NUTS THAT CAUSE PROBLEMS FOR PEOPLE WITH SPRING ALLERGIES:
(DUE TO TREE POLLEN)
FRUITS:
APPLE family (apple, pear)
PLUM family (plum, peach, prune, nectarine, apricot, cherry)
KIWI
VEGETABLES:
PARSLEY family (carrot, celery, dill, anise, cumin, coriander, caraway)
POTATO family (potato, tomato, green pepper)
NUTS:
Hazelnut, walnut, almond
LEGUMES:
Peas, beans, peanut
SEEDS:
Sunflower
Ragweed allergy (which causes hayfever in August and September) can be associated with allergies to raw bananas, and the members of the gourd family (melon, watermelon, honeydew, cantaloupe, zucchini and cucumber).
Grass allergy can be associated with allergies to orange, melon, watermelon, tomato, kiwi, peanut.
These allergic reactions usually occur only when the food is raw. People who are allergic to the raw food can eat it cooked, canned, microwaved, processed or baked. For example, someone allergic to raw apples can eat apple sauce, apple jelly, apple juice, apple pie and dried apples. However, nuts may cause allergic reactions whether raw or cooked. This problem is usually life long. Allergy tests to these foods may sometimes be negative unless a fresh fruit is used for the test (instead of a commercial allergy extract). The allergic reaction to these foods can occur anytime of the year when eating the foods but can be worse during the pollen season and especially if hayfever is very troublesome that year.
The allergic reaction is not due to pesticides, chemicals or wax on the fruit. However, because the more allergic part of the fruit may be in the skin, some people allergic to fruits, e.g., peaches, can eat the flesh without reaction if the skin is peeled away (THAT'S ME). Similarly for apples, some brands of apples cause more allergic reactions than others. Freshly picked apple, e.g., straight from the tree or an unripe apple, may cause fewer allergic reactions than one which is very ripe or one which has been stored for weeks after picking.
Severe allergic reactions to foods causing Oral Allergy Syndrome are most likely to occur with celery, kiwi, peaches, apricots, apples and nuts, especially hazelnuts.
Management of Oral Allergy Syndrome
1. These allergies are caused by the raw fruit or vegetable and therefore, once they are cooked or processed, they can usually be eaten.
2. You do not need to avoid all the foods on the chart in the table above. Avoid only those particular ones which have caused allergic reactions.
3. Be aware, however, that if you do have Oral Allergy Syndrome to some of the foods, you can develop allergies to other foods on the chart.
4. If an allergic reaction occurs to one of these foods, stop eating it immediately. Severe reactions may happen if you keep eating that food. Allergic reactions may be treated with antihistamines.
5. If you have had severe symptoms including trouble breathing, when eating the foods, you may need to carry injectable medication with you to treat these reactions (e.g., EpiPen®).
6. For mild Oral Allergy Syndrome, try peeling the fruit, or eating unripe or partially ripe fruits, or picking them directly from the tree so that they are quite fresh. If you react, do not keep eating the food.
7. Microwaving briefly to a temperature of 80°-90° C (176° - 194° deg F) may allow you to eat the food.
8. Nuts which cause Oral Allergy Syndrome should be totally avoided, whether fresh or cooked, because of the higher risk of severe reactions.
9. Allergy shots for hayfever may sometimes help associated food allergies.
Substitute Raw Fruits
Berries* (strawberry, blueberry, raspberries, etc.), citrus* (orange, mandarins, etc.), grapes, currants, gooseberries, guava, mango, figs, pineapple, papaya, avocado, persimmon, pomegranates, watermelon*.
Substitute Raw Vegetables
MUSTARD family (cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, watercress, radish
GOOSEFOOT family (spinach, swiss chard)
COMPOSITE family (green onions)
Substitute Nuts
Peanut*, cashew, pistachio, brazil, macadamia, pine nut.
*May occasionally cause Oral Allergy Syndrome.
Allergy/Asthma Information Association,
Box 100, Toronto, Ontario M9W 5K9
Phone (416) 679-9521 or 1-800-611-7011 Fax: (416) 679-9524
Web site: http://www.aaia.ca