Not everybody welcomes the prospect of springtime. Spring can be a touchy season for people with pollen allergies, and for those who suffer from oral allergy syndrome.
Oral allergy syndrome, also called OAS, is not wellknown. However David L. Katz, MD, director of the Yale-Griffin Prevention Research Center and president of the nonprofit organization Turn the Tide Foundation reported on Oprah.com that it can affect 70 percent of pollen allergy sufferers.
As if being allergic to pollen isn't bad enough, these folks also have adverse reactions to some fruit and vegetables.
Not only do their bodies react to proteins in pollen as if they were dangerous, their bodies also react to some proteins in produce as though they were pollen proteins.
As we move into spring, reactions to proteins in fruit and vegetables for these people tend to be more intense as seasonal allergens proliferate.
OAS may begin in childhood. It can also emerge for the first time in adults.
Fortunately, the discomforts of OAS tend to be mild in most cases. Symptoms include itching, swelling, tingling and other irritations to the lips, tongue or throat that come and go.
Not everyone has such mild and temporary symptoms however. A minority of people with OAS may have severe hives. In very extreme cases, anaphylaxis which can be life-threatening, may be the result.
It may not be necessary to completely stay away from produce. Peeling, canning or cooking the food in question may remove the problem.
If this doesn't help, taking antihistamines or other allergy medications before you eat produce that is a problem for you may alleviate the problem. If you need something more drastic, allergy shots for your original pollen allergy may do the trick for the fruit or vegetable in question.
Sublingual immunotherapy is a technique whereby a doctor puts allergen extracts under your tongue to determine what you are sensitive to. While the FDA has not approved this method, some allergists recommend it.
Skin testing can also point out what pollens and foods are a problem for the individual.
An Epi-pen may be prescribed for some sufferers.
Christopher C. Chang, M.D., Ph.D, of Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children, Jefferson Medical College, explained on Philly.com that people with a pollen allergy have a 50 percent chance of also suffering from OAS.
The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI) was reported in an article on WebMD.com to affect one-third of people who are allergic to pollen.
Someone with an allergy to birch tree pollen can also be sensitive to cross-reactivity to apples, carrots, celery, cherries, coriander, fennel, kiwi, parsley, peaches, pears and plums. Ragweed can cross-react with bananas and melons.
Grass allergy can cause cross-reaction with celery, melons, oranges, peaches and tomatoes. Latex rubber allergy can bring on reaction to avocados, banans, chestnut, kiwi and papaya.
The most surefire way to avoid the problem is to avoid the foods.
Sources:
Do You Have Oral Allergy Syndrome? Oprah.com. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
http://www.oprah.com/health/Oral-Allergy-Syndrome-Nutrition-Advice
Does your child have oral allergy syndrome? Philly.com. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/healthy_kids/Does-your-child-have-ora...
Foods That May Worsen Pollen Allergies. Webmd.com. Retrieved April 1, 2013.
http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/oral-allergy-syndrome-foods
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Reviewed April 2, 2013
by Michele Blacksberg RN