Spring is in the Air
Spring flowers are readily blooming, lively birds are happily chirping…but your itchy nose won’t stop running and you can’t seem to withhold yourself from rubbing your eyes.
Yes, it’s that dreaded time of year again…allergy season!
As I also suffer from allergies, I often find myself perusing for information regarding allergies. I managed to find something a couple of weeks ago and couldn’t wait to share it with you!
Have you ever heard of oral allergy syndrome? Me neither! In a nutshell, it’s an allergic reaction to a food because you have hay fever.
Let me explain：
Sensitization to tree pollen happens first when your body is exposed to a tree or plant that can trigger allergic reactions (running nose, itching eyes).
This causes your adaptive immunity to kick in and form antibodies.
The next time you stroll past your “beloved” allergen, your body recognizes those same antibodies and treats them as an enemy, thereby causing an allergic response.
As a side effect, reactions from certain fruits or vegetables may occur.
As for me, my mouth and lips start tingling when I eat peaches or nectarines. I always thought this was from the pesticides on the skin, but now I know it’s actually because I’m allergic to birch trees!
Where do you fall?
Pollen and Other Related Allergies:
Ragweed
Fruits: banana, cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon
Vegetables: cucumber, zucchini
Mugwort
Fruits: apple, melon, watermelon
Vegetables: carrot, celery
Grass
Fruits: kiwi, melon, orange, tomato, watermelon
Birch
Fruits: apple, apricot, cherry, kiwi, nectarine, peach, pear, plum, prune
Vegetables: anise, beans, caraway, carrot, celery, coriander, cumin, dill, fennel, green pepper, lentils, parsley, parsnips, peanut, peas, potato, tomato
Nuts: almond, hazelnut, walnut
Seeds: sunflower
According to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, severe allergic reactions (although rare) can include:
vomiting/diarrhea
asthma
hives
anaphylactic shock
More common allergic reactions normally include:
itching/burning lips, mouth and throat
watery itchy eyes
runny nose or sneezing.
I just want you to be aware of the worse case scenarios and hopefully explain why your mouth tingles sometimes!
For more information, check out the CFIAs website.
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Image courtesy of AndreaPiacquadio