Do certain foods make your throat itchy or lead to a host of other allergy-like symptoms? You could have oral allergy syndrome, also known as food-pollen allergy syndrome. Oral allergy syndrome affects people allergic to seasonal (fall or spring) pollen from ragweed, grass, birch and other grasses, weeds and trees.
Oral allergy syndrome is not the same as a food allergy. Your food is actually playing tricks on you. A protein within the particular culprit food is similar to the pollen that you are affected by, setting off an allergic reaction confined to your mouth and throat. Common symptoms may include itching of the lips, tongue, roof of the mouth or throat, a tingling sensation in your mouth and swollen lips. For some people the symptoms occur all year long whereas others seem to have a particular problem in the fall and spring. However, not all people with pollen allergies will be sensitive to these foods. And, even if you are sensitive, the reaction will be localized to your mouth and possibly your throat only (check tips for coping with oral allergy syndrome below).
Here are a few pollen allergies and the foods you may have a reaction to:
Alder tree pollen allergy sufferers may find they have a reaction to:
- almonds
- apples
- celery
- cherries
- hazelnuts
- parsley
- peaches
- pears
If you are allergic to Birch pollen, you may also have a reaction to:
- apples
- carrots
- celery
- hazelnuts
- nectarine
- parsnip
- peaches
- pears
- plums
- walnuts
- wheat
- bananas
- chamomile tea
- cucumber
- melons (cantaloupe, honeydew, watermelon)
- sunflower seeds
- tomatoes
- zucchini
- celery
- oranges
- peaches
- melons
- tomatoes
- anise seeds
- apples
- caraway seeds
- carrots
- celery
- coriander
- fennel seeds
- kiwi fruit
- parsley
- peanuts