The food allergies people tend to fear the most are nut and seafood allergies. This is because their symptoms tend to be rather severe; people can easily suffer sever throat swelling. Asphyxiation, major rashes, and hives. But as severe as nut and seafood allergies can be, they are far from being the most popular. That title belongs to fruit and vegetable allergies which are known as, oral allergy syndrome (OAS). The symptoms of OAS are much less serious than nut and seafood allergies. They tend to include conditions like:
- Itching or tingling of the tongue, mouth, or lips
- Swelling of the tongue, throat, or mouth (angioedema)
- Increased skin symptoms like eczema
- Vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramps (very rarely)
- Anaphylaxis shock (extremely rarely)
Oral allergy syndrome is not caused by the raw fruits themselves, but the pollen they contain. Specifically, they are caused by the pollen’s protein structure. This is partially why the symptoms of OAS tend to be so mild; they are equivalent to suffering from pollen allergies. People who tend to get an irritated nose during pollen season are also prone to suffering from OAS and experience similar symptoms. If you are upset that eating certain fruits and vegetables causes an allergic response, then don’t get too frustrated, there is hope.
What To Eat IF You’re Suffering From OAS
Bread
An easy and simple solution to counter the symptoms of an OAS flare up is to eat a slice of bread. Bread is a neutral substance that can absorb some of the pollen in your mouth and throat. You can also rinse your mouth out with water if there is no bread handy.
Raw Fruit vs Cooked Fruit
Technically, the symptoms of OAS are caused by your body having to expend heat to break down the pollen proteins. If you cook raw fruit or vegetables, then you can bypass the step of having to break down the proteins with your body heat. This will drastically decrease your symptoms.
