Knowing if eating strawberries is causing postnasal drip symptoms will help you prevent allergy symptoms from reoccurring. Strawberries are one of the foods that most often trigger an allergic reaction, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Sinus dripping, also called postnasal drip, is a common symptom of an allergic reaction due to inflammation in the sinus cavity. There's no cure for a strawberry allergy, aside from eliminating strawberries from your diet.
Strawberry Allergy
Although most people can eat strawberries without any side effects, if you're allergic to strawberries you may develop nasal congestion and a continuous sinus drip. A food allergy occurs when your immune system overreacts to the proteins in the strawberry, causing the production of immunoglobulin E antibodies, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. Other chemicals are released in your body, which cause inflammation and irritation to occur in soft tissues throughout. The sinuses comprise soft tissues that are commonly affected by a strawberry allergy.
Postnasal Drip
Postnasal drip is described as continual dripping down the back of your throat because of sinus congestion. During a strawberry allergy, your body produces histamine in your sinus cavity tissue, causing the sinuses to swell. Sinus swelling cuts off your ability to breathe and discharge mucus through your nostrils. Histamine also increases mucus production. The inability to drain the mucus through your nostrils and excessive amount of mucus causes the drainage to ooze down your throat, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology. Postnasal drip may result in throat irritation, coughing and bad breath.
Treatment
The most effective treatment for a strawberry allergy is to avoid eating strawberries. If you accidentally ingest strawberries and develop postnasal drip, ask your doctor about using over-the-counter antihistamines, decongestants and pain relievers, according to MayoClinic.com. Antihistamines block your mast cells from creating histamine and decongestants alleviate sinus congestion, restoring the ability to drain mucus through your nostrils.
Oral Allergy Syndrome
In some cases, if you have an allergy to pollen, eating raw fruits and vegetables, such as strawberries, may trigger common hay fever symptoms. Oral allergy syndrome mainly affects the mouth and throat but could cause other allergic rhinitis symptoms, such as postnasal drip, sinus congestion and itching in the nose. This condition occurs when your immune system reacts to the proteins in the strawberry as if they are a certain type of pollen. This mistake unleashes histamine in areas throughout the head.
