It may appear that latex and pomegranate allergies have no connection, but if you're allergic to latex or pollen, you may develop allergy symptoms after eating a pomegranate. When you eat a pomegranate, your immune system may mistake the proteins in the fruit as pollen from a latex tree. If you notice that after you eat a pomegranate you develop itching in your mouth, lips, throat and tongue, you may be experiencing pollen-food allergy syndrome. This condition is related to hay fever and may cause other allergy symptoms, such as nasal congestion, eye irritation and a runny nose.
Cross-Reactivity
The allergic connection between latex and pomegranates is a process called cross-reactivity. Fruit allergic reactions are in a class of their own when it comes to food allergies because they can cause cross-reactivity with tree, grass and weed pollen. Cross-reactivity is the process in the body where the immune system mistakes the pomegranate proteins for latex pollen. Most of these types of allergic reactions are localized and cause skin irritation and rashes. In rare cases, this type of reaction may lead to a severe allergic reaction.
Hay Fever
If you suffer from hay fever, specifically triggered by latex allergies, you will notice that oral reactions from eating pomegranates may be worse during the spring and summer months. You may not experience the same type of allergic reaction after drinking pomegranate juice because -- if it's been pasteurized -- the protein structures change. Aside from avoiding exposure to latex pollen, you may want to avoid eating raw pomegranates during high pollen season. Hay fever causes cold-like systems, such as red eyes, postnasal drip and sinus congestion.
Alarming Symptoms
Call 911 if you eat a pomegranate and notice shortness of breath, facial swelling, coughing, wheezing, chest pain, hives, eczema, rashes, skin itchiness and severe stomach pain. These symptoms may be a sign of anaphylaxis, a severe whole-body reaction that is potentially life-threatening. If this condition occurs, you will need an injection of epinephrine to restore normal bodily function.
Treatment
Avoidance is always the most effective way to prevent and treat a latex and pomegranate allergy. If your allergic reaction is related to oral allergy syndrome and hay fever, immunotherapy may be able to reduce your allergy symptoms. Getting allergy shots is the most common type of immunotherapy. With this condition, however, an oral version of immunotherapy can be administered under your tongue.
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