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Oral Allergy Symptoms

Oral allergy is a type of syndrome that produces symptoms when a person eats a food that produces an allergic reaction. The condition occurs when the body's immune system has the inability to distinguish between pollen proteins and proteins in foods, such as nuts, vegetables and fruits.

  1. Common Symptoms

    • Most often, the mouth is the affected area from an oral allergy syndrome reaction. Swelling and itching may occur in the lips, tongue and throat. Other symptoms may include itchy and watery eyes, sneezing, nasal inflammation and nasal leakage. Symptoms usually don't take long to appear and likely happen soon after the allergen food is consumed.

    Serious Cases

    • Those who are sensitive to certain foods may develop a gastrointestinal reaction that includes vomiting, cramps, nausea and diarrhea. In rarer cases, an oral allergy can result in an asthma attack. The patient will wheeze and have difficulty breathing. Anaphylaxis can also occur, where a person may pass out or feel as though he is choking. This can be life threatening.

    Diagnosis

    • If you experience oral allergy symptoms, your doctor will likely run tests to determine your diagnosis. A skin allergen test may be used to check your sensitivity to pollen by applying a small amount of the allergen to the skin's surface. If it comes back positive, a doctor may recommend eliminating certain nuts, fruits and vegetables in order to figure out what ingredient is causing the symptoms to appear.

    Treatment

    • One of the best forms of treatment of an oral allergy is avoiding foods that cause symptoms to appear. Another option is cooking or freezing the problematic foods to avoid a reaction. Allergy shots and prescription antihistamines have been used by physicians as a way to treat oral allergy syndrome.

    Considerations

    • Preparation of the foods can lessen the severity of the symptoms. Freezing or heating foods to a very high temperature may eliminate symptoms. Canned and dried food items may also help with an oral allergy. The time of the year can also affect an oral allergy, such as seasons with a high pollen count.

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