If you're allergic to pollen or have been diagnosed with hay fever, certain foods may cause an allergic reaction. Although symptoms are typically mild, in rare cases severe allergic reactions can occur. Oral allergy syndrome is not a food allergy. This condition is related to a pollen allergy that is triggered by certain fruits and vegetables, according to Oprah.com. A food allergy is a hypersensitivity to the proteins in certain foods, such as milk, eggs or soy. If you are diagnosed with pollen food syndrome you can be treated with immunotherapy.
About
Pollen foods syndrome, or oral allergy syndrome, is an allergic reaction that occurs primarily in the mouth. The reaction is triggered by confusion of the immune system. If you're allergic to pollen, when you inhale the substance, your body mistakes it for a harmful substance and begins to fight it off. Some fruits and vegetables can confuse your immune system into reacting to proteins in the food as if they were pollen. Oprah.com states that more than 70 percent of people with a pollen allergy experience oral allergy syndrome.
Symptoms
Symptoms are common in older children, young adults and mature adults. You may develop symptoms without warning. Most people develop symptoms quickly, even with foods that they've eaten for years without any reaction, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. Symptoms develop typically during hay fever season, spring and summer, and last for a few minutes. Symptoms may include an itchy mouth, throat, lips, ears and swelling of the lips. In some cases, you may also develop eye irritation and watering. You may be able to prevent symptoms by cooking the fruits or vegetables before eating them.
Foods and Pollen
Certain foods cross-react with certain pollen form trees, grass and weeds. If you're allergic to grasses, you may develop pollen food allergy syndrome symptoms from eating melons, tomatoes, oranges, celery or peaches, according to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. Birch pollen symptoms are triggered by apples, hazelnuts, almonds, pears, peaches, kiwi and carrots. If you're allergic to ragweed, you may develop symptoms after consuming chamomile tea, bananas, zucchini or melons
Treatment
An effective treatment for oral allergy syndrome is sublingual immunotherapy, according to Oprah.com. This therapy is similar to allergy shots, but uses small amounts of the allergen under the tongue instead of injections. This method has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.
