Food allergy

Do your mouth, lips, and throat sometimes feel a little tingly, slightly swollen or itchy after you eat? It might be a food allergy.

FOOD ALLERGY TRIGGERS

Milk
Eggs
Wheat
Peanuts
Tree nuts

Fish
Shellfish
Soy
Sesame and many more
Cross-reacting allergens in pollen, dust mites, and foods

FOOD ALLERGY SYMPTOMS

Tingly or itching inside the mouth
Swelling of the lips, tongue, face, or throat
Raised, itchy skin rash (hives)
Swelling of the face, mouth, or throat (angioedema)
Difficulty swallowing
Shortness of breath
Dizziness and lightheadedness
Nausea and vomiting
Abdominal pain and diarrhea
Hayfever-like symptoms
AnaphylaxisA severe, potentially life-threatening allergic reaction that can lead to a potentially fatal condition known as anaphylactic shock. It can occur within minutes or several hours after coming into contact with an allergen and is often caused by reactions to medication, food allergens or insect venom.

Where the tingling comes from

The tingly feeling inside of your mouth after eating a certain food can be caused by a true food allergy, or a phenomenon called the Oral Allergy Syndrome. Food allergies can manifest in a range of symptoms: the slight tingle and itch inside of the mouth is on the milder side of symptoms, but some patients also experience a swelling of the lips, tongue, or throat, which gives way to more severe symptoms like breathing difficulties and sometimes even anaphylaxis.

Food allergies and the Big 8

Technically, any food item can cause a food allergy. However, statistics show that a group of 8 allergens (sometimes 9, when sesame is included), also referred to as “the Big 8”, are responsible for most food allergic reactions. The Big 8 consist of cow’s milk, hen’s egg, wheat, peanuts, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, and soy.

The oral allergy syndrome explained

The Oral Allergy Syndrome (sometimes also referred to as Pollen-Fruit-Syndrome) is caused by a cross-reaction of allergens that are found in pollen as well as raw fruits, vegetables, and some tree nuts. Here’s an example: It’s possible that patients allergic to Birch tree pollen will experience Oral Allergy Syndrome when eating apples. This is a so-called cross-reaction caused by the structural similarity of Birch and apple allergens, which results in the tingly, itchy feeling in your mouth.

Cross-reactions between pollen and foods

Certain pollen are known to frequently cross-react with certain fruits, vegetables, and nuts. Patients allergic to Birch pollen often experience reactions when eating apples, almonds, carrots, celery, cherries, hazelnuts, kiwis, peaches, pears, and plums. Patients allergic to grass pollen often react to celery, melons, oranges, peaches, and tomatoes. Likewise, ragweed pollen can cross-react with bananas, cucumbers, melons, sunflower seeds, and zucchini. Additionally, similarities in dust mite and cockroach allergens and seafood allergens cause similar cross-reactions.