An allergy is an immune reaction your body produces when it's faced with a substance that is not generally considered harmful. Your immune system may react when you are eating fresh fruits or vegetables -- even though these foods are healthy and provide nutrients your body requires -- and produce the symptoms of a food allergy. But an allergy to fresh fruit may not be a true allergy, but instead a reaction to certain pollens.
Hay Fever
Hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, is a reaction to pollens from trees, grasses and ragweed. These pollens vary in different regions, and the intensity of symptoms varies among individuals. Symptoms of hay fever can include itchy nose, mouth, eyes, throat or skin, runny nose, sneezing and watery eyes.
Oral Allergy Syndrome
If you find yourself suffering from hay fever and an allergic reaction to fresh fruits, you may have a condition called oral allergy syndrome. Certain fruits contain proteins that are very similar to the proteins found in the pollens that cause hay fever. When you eat one of these fruits, your immune system senses the similarity in the proteins, and an allergic reaction develops. Symptoms of oral allergy syndrome include itchy, tingling mouth, lips and throat; swelling of the lips, tongue and throat; watery, itchy eyes; runny nose; and sneezing, while severe symptoms can include vomiting, cramps, diarrhea, wheezing, coughs and trouble breathing or swallowing.
Cross-Reactive Fruits
Fruits that cause oral allergy syndrome are usually grouped with a certain type of pollen that causes hay fever. If you are allergic to birch pollen, you may also react to fresh apples, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears and plums. Ragweed allergy sufferers may also react to bananas, melons and tomatoes. Grass allergies may cause a reaction to oranges, peaches and tomatoes, and allergies to mugwort may cause reactions to apples and kiwi fruit. Alder pollen allergies may result in reactions to apples, cherries, peaches and pears.
Prevention and Treatment
The best way to prevent reactions to fruits that cause oral allergy syndrome is to avoid eating them raw. The proteins that cause your fruit allergy are changed during the cooking process -- making them unrecognizable to your immune system -- so most people can eat cooked versions of the fruits that cause their reactions. Over-the-counter antihistamines or antihistamines prescribed by your doctor can help relieve mild symptoms if they're taken after you eat an allergy-causing food. If you eat an allergy-causing food raw and develop a severe reaction, such as trouble breathing, an epinephrine shot and emergency medical attention may be necessary.
