Living with Oral Allergy Syndrome

Two summers ago, while eating a fresh peach, my mouth started to tingle and burn and my throat and lips began to itch. I shrugged it off and was not even sure if it was due to the peach, until the next day when I ate another and my symptoms returned. After suffering from this strange reaction repeatedly and talking to no one with a similar experience, I finally happed upon a name for it: oral allergy syndrome.

Oral allergy syndrome is a type of allergy to fresh fruits and vegetables. The American Academy of Allergy Asthma & Immunology reports that likely one-third of people with pollen allergies can develop oral allergy syndrome. In fact, allergies to specific pollens lead to cross oral allergies to certain fruits and vegetables.

So, how does one cope with oral allergy syndrome? The best thing to do is to avoid eating the offending food raw or unprocessed. Rarely does oral allergy syndrome result in anaphalaxis, but it is still best to avoid the allergens. Because the enzymes responsible for the allergy do not hold up against cooking, freezing, or canning I have found that grilling fruit is a good option. Grilling peaches and plums brings out even more of their natural flavor, and you do not have to cook them long enough for them to get mushy.

Using thawed frozen fruit is an option for including allergenic fruits in smoothies and yogurts, or other recipes that are uncooked. If your allergy is severe, avoid contact with the uncooked food altogether. My allergy to peaches has become so severe that I can no longer peel them without developing hives so I no longer serve them, but I can still safely slice up apples for my kids.

Most times the symptoms are mild and are limited to discomfort in the mouth and throat. Medications for allergies, like Benadryl, are often not necessary because the symptoms are rarely bothersome for more than half an hour. Most of the time, eating a different type of food, or drinking a glass of water can help ease the symptoms. However, oral antihistamines remain a good option for relieving the discomfort.

Oral allergy syndrome is difficult to diagnose. Traditional allergy testing uses extracts in a skin scratch test. However, since many of the enzymes responsible for the allergic reaction are broken down during processing of the extract this method of allergy testing is rendered useless. Oral allergy syndrome is generally diagnosed through symptoms, and a history of pollen allergies.

Since my first interaction with peaches, I have developed several new allergies. Many of the new fruits I am allergic to are similar to peaches in that they are stone fruit (that is, they contain a pit). Plums, nectarines, cherries, almonds, and apricots fell off my list of fresh fruit I could eat soon to be followed by apples and, most recently, pears. Being allergic to most summertime fruit is difficult. While grilling fruit is a good option, it is not always feasible and frankly it is not the same as plucking a fresh peach off a tree and letting the juices run down my chin or eating a fresh caramel apple. Those are things I miss.

For more information, and a complete list of cross-allergies, see http://yourtotalhealth.ivillage.com/oral-allergy-syndrome.html

Source:
http://www.aaaai.org/media/news_releases/2007/08/081307.stm