Caffeine is a chemical drug found primarily in sodas, tea, coffee and chocolate that can cause an allergic reaction. Any chemical that enters the human body has the potential to trigger an allergy. Some foods and medications more commonly trigger allergic reactions, such as tree nuts, dairy, fish and certain drugs. An allergic reaction to caffeine is not the same condition as caffeine overdose, which can cause a rapid heart rate, headaches and stomach pain. Caffeine overdose occurs when you ingest more caffeine than your body can naturally process.
Allergic Reaction
An allergic reaction to caffeine occurs when your immune system malfunctions and falsely identifies the chemical as a dangerous substance to the body. This causes the production of antibodies (disease-fighting agents) into the bloodstream. The presence of allergy-related antibodies causes mast cells found in soft tissues to produce histamine. Histamine is a chemical that commonly fights off infection in the body, but during an allergic reaction it causes inflammation to occur. Most caffeine allergy symptoms are caused by the presence of increased histamine levels.
Symptoms
Some symptoms of an allergic reaction to caffeine and common side effects of caffeine are similar and need to be evaluated by a medical doctor. Symptoms of a caffeine allergy may include sinus congestion, skin rashes, asthma, gastrointestinal complications and facial swelling. You may develop sinus headaches and facial pressure from nasal congestion. Common allergic skin rashes include hives, eczema and general redness and itching of the skin. You may develop nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, stomach pain and cramping from an allergy to caffeine.
Testing
Your doctor will use different allergy tests to diagnose your condition. In order for you to have a genuine caffeine allergy, your body must create immunoglobulin E antibodies when caffeine is introduced into your body. The preliminary test uses a small amount of caffeine that is injected under the top layer of your skin. If the skin becomes irritated, swollen or red within 15 minutes, you most likely have an allergy to caffeine. The more conclusive test uses a sample of your blood to determine if IgE antibodies are produced when the lab introduces caffeine into the blood sample.
Precaution
If you're diagnosed with a caffeine allergy you will need to use precautions to avoid consuming caffeine. Do not ingest any product that naturally contains caffeine, such as coffee, tea or soda. Products labeled caffeine-free do not contain any caffeine. Decaf is a reduction in the amount of caffeine in a beverage, not the removal. Caffeine may be found in decaffeinated coffee and tea.
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