Oral Allergy Syndrome

Tingling lips and mouth, oral burning, soreness - not a life sentence.

Several food reactions in oral allergy syndrome have strong connections with allergies to common pollens. Tree pollens are often linked with the following foods, they are grouped together if they belong to the same family:

Apple, Pear
Plum, Peach, Apricot, Cherry
Parsley, Carrot, Celery
Potato, Tomato, Pepper, Aubergine
Some nuts especially Hazelnut
Peas, Beans, Peanut
Sunflower
Kiwi

Grass pollen has links with reactions to peanut, honeydew and cantaloupe melon, watermelon and kiwi. Ragweed pollen, which causes symptoms in late summer, is also associated with melon, watermelon and cucumber.

Occasionally reactions can be severe and require the use of adrenaline. Pesticides and sprays used in the food industry are often suspected but they are not a cause!

HOW CAN WE HELP YOU?

Identifying the root cause

If you have already explored all other basic options and have avoided many of the suggested foods and you are left with a very limited menu, desensitisation for pollens and specific foods can help.
Treating the pollen allergy can help to minimise one's reactions to foods.

SPECIALIST TIPS AND NOTES

It is believed that, in a significant proportion of people with oral allergy syndrome reactions to foods are driven by the underlying allergy to pollens. This raises an interesting question: Is it possible to control the food allergy if we could control the allergy to pollen? Peeling the food, avoiding eating it when it is too ripe and subjecting it to brief boiling or microwaving is known to reduce its allergenicity.