If you develop hives after eating or touching apples, you might have an allergy. Apple allergies are often linked to birch pollen allergies because they contain similar proteins. Symptoms are usually mild, and many people can eat cooked or processed apples. Although there’s no cure, your doctor can prescribe medicine to treat hives and other symptoms.
Causes
If you're allergic, your body reacts to a protein, profilin, which is also found in pollen and some other fruits and vegetables. Your immune system produces immoglobulin E, an antibody and histamine. You might also react to pears, cherries, peaches and plums, which are also members of the Rosaceae family. According to Sydney Children's Hospital, fruit and vegetable allergies affect roughly 3 percent of the population and usually develop in adolescents and adults.
Hives And Other Symptoms
Apple allergies are often diagnosed as oral allergy syndrome. Symptoms include hives or urticaria, a rash of red bumps and welts which often develops around your mouth or where your skin touched the fruit. You might have more generalized hives on the rest of your body. This usually goes away after a few days. As well as itchy skin, you might have a tingly, itchy tongue and swelling of your face, lips and eyelids. Other symptoms include abdominal pain, vomiting, nausea and diarrhea. In rare cases, some people have a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction, which includes swelling of the throat and difficulty breathing.
Tests And Diagnosis
If you think your hives are caused by an apple allergy, see your doctor. Be prepared to describe your symptoms and keep a food diary to identify problem foods. You might be asked to take a skin test. During the test, your skin is pricked, allowing a tiny amount of allergen below the surface. If you're allergic, a rash will develop.
Treatment
Your doctor can prescribe oral antihistamines and topical corticosteroid cream to reduce your symptoms and relieve the itching. You can also buy these over the counter from drugstores. If your allergy is linked to allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, allergy shots might also help. If you have an anaphylactic reaction, you need immediate treatment with epinephrine and should go directly to the emergency room.
Prevention
The best way to prevent a reaction is to avoid eating or handling raw apples. However, you might be able to eat cooked, dried or processed apples because the proteins are altered. If you only have mild symptoms, peeling the fruit can help; most of the allergens are concentrated near the skin. Eating apples straight from the tree or when they're slightly unripe can prevent a reaction. Microwaving briefly to a temperature of 176 to 194 degrees Fahrenheit might also allow you to eat them. If you don't eat apples, make sure you eat plenty of other fruit and vegetables as part of a healthy diet.
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