Individuals who suffer allergic reactions after ingesting commercially synthesized glucose most likely have corn allergies. Many sweeteners, food colorings, preservatives and stabilizers come from processed corn. Therefore, patients may get symptoms from eating foods, taking medicines or using personal care products that contain corn syrup, caramel color, citric acid, corn starch and other corn products.
Medical-grade intravenous glucose solutions can induce serious allergy symptoms in patients with corn allergies. Health problems range from minor oral discomfort to anaphylaxis, a severe condition requiring emergency care.
Headache
Headaches or migraines may characterize corn allergy symptoms in some patients. Allergic reactions to corn-based glucose ingredients cause the body to release histamines in a faulty immune system response. As MayoClinic.com relates, histamines may set off migraines in sensitive individuals, producing pain symptoms that can last for several days.
Oral Syndrome
In a greater percentage of patients with corn allergies, oral ingestion of glucose or other corn products will produce itching in the mouth. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), histamines start an inflammatory cycle that progresses along with the allergen's movement through the bloodstream and digestive system. Itching or tingling may being in the lips, tongue and throat and move to the face, eyes and skin on other parts of the body.
Contact Dermatitis
Corn-derived ingredients in soaps, cosmetics, deodorants, topical medicines and other substances create contact dermatitis when they touch the skin of people with corn allergies. Patients may experience local redness, itching, flaky skin, raised bumps and pain. MayoClinic.com notes that isolated rashes can occur in cases of oral ingestion as well.
Swelling
Inflammatory allergy symptoms include swelling, which usually begins immediately around the lips, tongue, lining of the mouth and throat. The University of Maryland Medical Center advises patients to monitor the status of these symptoms and to call 911 for paramedic assistance if oral swelling increases enough to impair breathing.
Digestive Upset
Digestive symptoms typically occur in allergic reactions to food or medicine, but may take an hour or longer to begin. The NIH notes that food must reach the stomach before allergy symptoms of nausea or vomiting will occur. Abdominal pain, cramps and diarrhea may follow as digestion progresses, but symptoms should fade as the body breaks down and expels the allergens as waste.
Breathing Problems
Unusual symptoms of allergic reactions to corn can escalate more rapidly than those associated with inflammation and digestion. Obstruction of the airways can suddenly trigger asthma or similar bronchial constriction, the NIH reports.
Throat tightness, chest tightness, shortness of breath and wheezing may contribute to anaphylactic shock. Reduced cardiovascular performance combined with a lack of oxygen can cause fainting and potentially fatal respiratory and cardiac arrest.
