Rhubarb is a vegetable that's commonly used in main dishes and desserts. Although it's not considered a common source of food allergy, people may develop skin rashes and rarely anaphylaxis, a severe allergic reaction, after eating it, according to Wellness.com. If you have an adverse reaction to rhubarb, you need to make an appointment with your doctor for a proper diagnosis. Because rhubarb dishes commonly include other ingredients, you will want to confirm the reaction is the result of eating rhubarb and not caused by another ingredient.
Rhubarb Allergy
A rhubarb allergy is caused by a hypersensitivity to the proteins found in this vegetable. After you ingest rhubarb, your immune system may identify one or more of its proteins as harmful, even though they are safe, and begin to attack them. During an allergic reaction, the immune system creates immunoglobulin E antibodies that fight against the rhubarb proteins. The introduction of IgE antibodies into the blood stream causes mast cells to create histamine. Histamine is responsible for allergy-related symptoms.
Symptoms
Common symptoms from a rhubarb allergy may include complications in the digestive system, lungs or nasal passages, according to MayoClinic.com. Inflammation in the digestive tract can cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach cramping and pain. Your lungs may swell, cutting off your ability to breathe normally. You may also develop chest tightness, shortness of breath and wheezing as a result. If your nasal passages become inflamed, you may develop sinus pressure, headaches, a runny nose, nasal congestion and sneezing. In rare cases, you may develop a severe allergic reaction, anaphylactic shock.
Rashes
Skin rashes are common with food allergies. If you're allergic to rhubarb, you may develop general itching, hives or eczema. General itching may be felt in the mouth, lips or face and can develop into an allergic rash. Hives and eczema are two common skin rashes that cause inflammation and extreme itching in the skin. Hives appears in clusters of welts, while eczema forms in clusters of blisters. Have your skin rash assessed by an allergist or dermatologist.
Diagnosis and Treatment
To confirm and diagnose an allergy to rhubarb, you need to participate in allergy testing. Once diagnosed, your doctor will recommend avoiding the consumption of rhubarb. Though incurable, a food allergy can be managed through diet modification.
