Do you have a mild food allergy?

by Kevin Farrell Tap to start

Allergies to certain pollens could also mean mild food allergies.

Have you ever experienced swollen lips, tingling tongue, or an itchy throat while eating? This could be why.

The clinical term is Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS). But it’s also been called Pollen-Food Allergy Syndrome or Pollen Fruit Syndrome (PFS).

OAS symptoms can include tingling, swelling and itching around your tongue, lips, gums, throat or even ears.

Prolonged exposure to OAS triggers can result in hives, nasal congestion, diarrhea, vomiting or even dizziness.

The foods that trigger OAS symptoms hail almost exclusively from the fruit, vegetable and nut families.

People who have OAS usually have other pollen allergies, including hay fever.

An allergy to the individual offending antigen can likely cause an OAS response to any of the foods in each group. Here are some examples of some foods and their allergen groups to monitor.

Grass pollen allergies:

Melons, tomatoes, oranges, figs

Ragweed pollen allergies:

Bananas, melons, cucumber, zucchini, artichokes, hibiscus

Birch pollen allergies:

Almonds, apples, avocados, apricots, bananas, carrots, celery, cherries, coriander, fennel, hazelnuts, kiwi, parsley, parsnips, pears, peppers, plums, potatoes, prunes, soy, strawberries, wheat

Luckily, OAS symptoms are rarely severe enough to be life-threatening. But if you are experiencing an allergic reaction – no matter how minor – while eating something, you shouldn't eat it.