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Cinnamon Bark Allergies

Aug 23, 2011 | By Matthew Lee
Cinnamon Bark Allergies
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With a number of aldehydes, alcohols and acids, cinnamon contains a variety of chemical compounds that may induce allergic or toxic reactions. Due to their potency, cinnamon powder and oil are common spice in baking and cooking. While whole cinnamon bark does not contain the same chemical concentrations as these preparations, grinding, grating or crushing cinnamon bark can create a similar product. As this process releases fine dust into the air, creating fresh preparations from cinnamon bark may also induce respiratory reactions.

Cinnamaldehyde and Eugenol

Cinnamon is a versatile spice with a range of potential uses in perfume, food and medicine. Even in small concentrations, its powerful flavor and aroma change the properties of a fragrance or dish. These properties arise from the various chemicals in cinnamon, including the potential allergens cinnamaldehyde and eugenol. In addition to their allergenic, aromatic and flavoring properties, these potent chemicals lend numerous medicinal uses to cinnamon. These include the use of cinnamon in antiseptics, pain-relievers, yeast infection treatments and natural anti-inflammatory products.

Oral Allergy Syndrome

Whether sucking on, eating or using fresh cinnamon bark to make a spice powder, oral contact with cinnamon bark can lead to a collection of allergic symptoms known as oral allergy syndrome. Typically mild, this syndrome leads to itching, tingling, swelling and a burning sensation in and around your throat and mouth. As this syndrome commonly arises from the presence of tree pollens, there tends to be an association between oral allergy syndrome and pollen allergies or hay fever. Similar to tree pollen allergies, antihistamines are often an effective treatment for oral allergy syndrome. As life-threatening reactions can occur in extreme cases, however, you should seek immediate medical attention if you experience a rapid progression in the severity of your symptoms.

Contact Dermatitis

Skin reactions to cinnamon generally lead to a range of symptoms known as contact dermatitis. In the 2001 issue of "Acta Dermatoveneralogica," Dr. Lasse Kanerva of the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health in Helsinki stated that cinnamon is one of the most common causes of allergic contact dermatitis. While the allergic type activates your immune system and typically causes a more severe, full-body reaction, irritant contact dermatitis has similar allergy-like symptoms. While there is often a delay between contact with cinnamon bark and allergic symptoms, immediate symptoms appear in extreme cases. Milder symptoms include redness, itching, swelling, sweating and a burning sensation, while more severe allergic reactions lead to hives and second-degree burns.

Inhalation

According to the experts at Phadia Laboratories, skin allergy tests do not always detect cinnamon bark allergies. In addition to these undetected allergies, crushing, grating or grinding fresh cinnamon bark releases potentially irritating compounds into the air. Phadia states that the cellulose in cinnamon particles causes non-allergic respiratory symptoms in some people. These include an increased risk of asthma, shortness of breath, coughing, difficulty breathing and inflammation of the linings of your lungs and bronchioles.

References

Article reviewed by Leslie Darling Last updated on: Aug 23, 2011

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