Do food allergies just turn up?

[Wilma]

Hey folks,

 

I have a food allergy question - is it normal for a kid who has eaten a particular food all her life (10 years old) to develop an allergy? My kid in the last year has had an unpleasant reaction to peaches and cherries. And yesterday she said that strawberries were making her mouth itch...

 

Is that a thing? Will it go away? Is something causing it?

 

(this kid is also very headache prone and often too warm when everyone else is comfortable, if that rings any bells)

 

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[PinkyandtheBrains.]

Yes allergies can show up at any time. So can Oral Allergy Syndrome.

[Tangerine]

Oral Allergy Syndrome.  It's totally a thing.

[scrapbookbuzz]

I can't speak for childhood but I can speak for adult-onset food intolerances.

Growing up, I LOVED bread. Ate at least 2-3 slices every night at dinner.

On our honeymoon, I ate an entire basket of the fresh baked rolls one night at dinner.

In my forties (where I am now), I discovered, through a series of events, that I am highly intolerant

to gluten ( found in practically every traditional bread on the market).

 

Not too long after that, this Midwestern, corn-fed girl also found she's highly senstive to corn:

gives me arthritic symptoms in my hands and lower back the day after I've ingested it.

 

So, yes, you can eat foods all your life, and then one day, BAM!, you find you can no longer eat them.

For me, it didn't happend until adulthood, although I highly suspect I was intolerant LONG before I ever 

discovered I was.

[scrapbookbuzz]

Oral Allergy Syndrome.  It's totally a thing.

What is that?

[Katy]

Yes, both food allergies and oral allergy syndrome.

[wintermom]

What is that?

 

Oral Allergies - just google it. It is related to tree allergies commonly known as Hay Fever.  

 

For the OP, I'd be particularly cautious about the strawberry allergy. See your dr and perhaps try to get to see an allergy specialist. Bees, peanuts and strawberry allergies are all very nasty. You may be moving into the epi-pen world very soon.  :grouphug:

Edited May 22, 2017 by wintermom

[Tangerine]

Oral Allergies - just google it. It is related to tree allergies commonly known as Hay Fever.  

 

For the OP, I'd be particularly cautious about the strawberry allergy. See your dr and perhaps try to get to see an allergy specialist. Bees, peanuts and strawberry allergies are all very nasty. You may be moving into the epi-pen world very soon.  :grouphug:

 

All of this.  My DH, who has Hay Fever, also has OAS.  My two daughters only react to pineapple as far as we can tell.

[Wilma]

Is there any reasonable chance that these allergies would go away or be grown out of?

 

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[PinkyandtheBrains.]

Is there any reasonable chance that these allergies would go away or be grown out of?

 

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That is hard to say, my understanding is that allergies gained later on do not go away.  So if they are an allergy, I would guess not. Obviously an allergist would be best to advise you here.

[Tangerine]

Is there any reasonable chance that these allergies would go away or be grown out of?

 

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I'm holding out hope for my baby to outgrow eggs and dairy.  My DH outgrew a dairy allergy as a kid.  But he never outgrew the fruit=itchy bit.  For what it's worth, people with OAS can often eat cooked versions of the offending foods.

[Pink and Green Mom]

My youngest has just developed an allergy to rosemary (?!) at the age of 12.  He was eating focaccia bread with rosemary on top at an Italian restaurant and started coughing uncontrollably, saying his throat hurt and it was hard to breathe.  We thought he had some bread crumbs "tickling" his throat and that he was being overly dramatic.  Fast forward a few months, at a different Italian restaurant with rosemary focaccia bread and the same thing happened.

 

My pediatrician took it very seriously, immediately prescribed an Epi-Pen and sent us to an allergist. I would talk to your doctor immediately.

[Wilma]

So it'd be a visit to an allergist to figure out whether it's a "true allergy" or the OAS? And do y'all know what we would expect to happen at an allergist appointment?

 

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[Wilma]

My youngest has just developed an allergy to rosemary (?!) at the age of 12. He was eating focaccia bread with rosemary on top at an Italian restaurant and started coughing uncontrollably, saying his throat hurt and it was hard to breathe. We thought he had some bread crumbs "tickling" his throat and that he was being overly dramatic. Fast forward a few months, at a different Italian restaurant with rosemary focaccia bread and the same thing happened.

 

My pediatrician took it very seriously, immediately prescribed an Epi-Pen and sent us to an allergist. I would talk to your doctor immediately.

That sounds really scary!

 

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[Carol in Cal.]

OAS can still close your throat so you can't breathe.  It's a scary allergy.

[Selkie]

My dh developed allergies in his 40's to things he had been eating and drinking his whole life.

[Wilma]

My dh developed allergies in his 40's to things he had been eating and drinking his whole life.

That seems so wacky, don't you think?! (I'm not dubious, just surprised that it happens.)

[StephanieZ]

Sure do!

 

My 14 yo, who has never had an allergy to anything . . . had a severe reaction to cherries Saturday (which she has eaten all her life, although it'd probably been 6 months since they are just coming into season). Full blown allergic reaction, anaphylaxis averted by timely doses of benadryl and prednisone . . . If we hadn't had prednisone on hand, I'm sure we'd have been in the ER (full body hives, stomach pain, etc). 

 

 

[scrapbookbuzz]

Wilma, yes, it is wacky, but very real.

[cintinative]

That seems so wacky, don't you think?! (I'm not dubious, just surprised that it happens.)

 

 

It happened to me. In my late 30's/early 40s I developed an allergy to white potatoes. If I even touch them I break out in hives.  I usually end up in sneezing fits even if I peel them with gloves.  Sometimes my throat gets weird even from just peeling them and not eating them. So yes, as others have posted, it's totally a thing. 

 

I have Oral Allergy Syndrome like others have mentioned. As my pollen allergies have gotten worse, so has my OAS.  I tried allergy shots for awhile but had an anaphylactic reaction so the allergist put an end to that. So now I avoid all the trouble foods, especially raw, but I really should avoid them altogether. 

 

I know this is Wikipedia but it is similar to other sites:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oral_allergy_syndrome

[vonfirmath]

So it'd be a visit to an allergist to figure out whether it's a "true allergy" or the OAS? And do y'all know what we would expect to happen at an allergist appointment?

 

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Honestly, the "Allergy tests" can be negative and you still have a real reaction.  I'd trust reactions over the tests. If your kid's mouth is itching, stop eating it.

[maize]

It is very common for allergies to develop suddenly.

[displace]

An allergist may run blood or skin tests, or both, prescribe an epipen if necessary, offer any other treatments that might be available, etc.

Edited May 22, 2017 by displace

[Mergath]

That seems so wacky, don't you think?! (I'm not dubious, just surprised that it happens.)

 

I didn't have a single allergy (except to one epilepsy medication) all my life. Then after I was pregnant with dd at twenty-five I developed horrible seasonal allergies. Then at around thirty I developed OAS and a shellfish allergy. It's not uncommon to develop new allergies in adulthood. Immune systems change over time.

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

That seems so wacky, don't you think?! (I'm not dubious, just surprised that it happens.)

 

Yep, I developed my egg allergy at 34, and likely have an allergy to avocado now as well. I carry an epi pen with me all the time now.

[Guest]

My allergies came on out of the blue after a lifetime of none, though in hindsight my adrenal issues and gut problems appear to have been the culprits. It was still very sudden. And with an elimination diet some can lessen in severity or go away. Or not. It's pretty much a crapshoot.

[tdbates78]

I can't speak for childhood but I can speak for adult-onset food intolerances.

Growing up, I LOVED bread. Ate at least 2-3 slices every night at dinner.

On our honeymoon, I ate an entire basket of the fresh baked rolls one night at dinner.

In my forties (where I am now), I discovered, through a series of events, that I am highly intolerant

to gluten ( found in practically every traditional bread on the market).

 

Not too long after that, this Midwestern, corn-fed girl also found she's highly senstive to corn:

gives me arthritic symptoms in my hands and lower back the day after I've ingested it.

 

So, yes, you can eat foods all your life, and then one day, BAM!, you find you can no longer eat them.

For me, it didn't happend until adulthood, although I highly suspect I was intolerant LONG before I ever

discovered I was.

I have similar issus and also grew up in the Midwest eating pasta, rolls, bread, cakes and cookies. Now I'm intolerant of gluten, most gluten-free grains, fructose and lactose. I have IBS and SIBO, which I'm sure contribute. The symptoms escalated over the past few years.

[Spryte]

Yep.

 

Sounds like OAS.

 

I developed a shellfish allergy in my 40s. And DS just developed an allergy to avocado. Anaphylactic. Ugh.

[ErinE]

Dd's allergist ran both blood tests and skin tests, mainly to see if there were co-allergens. We also did a food test. I thought dd was allergic to mango, so in the doctor's office, they gradually fed her larger pieces of the fruit until they were certain dd didn't have a reaction. With dd being so young, she is restricted from certain foods, but the allergist plans to slowly introduce the foods back into her diet once she's older.

[Miss Tick]

OAS was in NPR's home page this morning:

http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/05/22/529151256/if-raw-fruits-or-veggies-give-you-a-tingly-mouth-it-s-a-real-syndrome

[Carol in Cal.]

The other thing that it is crucial to know about this is a mild reaction can often be a precursor to a very severe one next time.  It's kind of the opposite of building up immunity--the body is building up sensitivity, and quickly.  So it's very important to take the initial finding seriously.

[Wilma]

Thanks, y'all. I'll get this girl an appointment with the allergy guy. Do you know whether the allergy guy will be able to tell if she's allergic (is that still how you call it with OAS?) to other stuff, or do you have to just wait and see?

[sbgrace]

If it's OAS, which sounds likely, it will just be fresh/not cooked forms and it will probably be only in her environmental allergy season. ETA: maybe not! It is here, but it sounds like that varies.

 

 http://acaai.org/allergies/types/food-allergies/types-food-allergy/oral-allergy-syndrome

 

So that's a good thing. My husband developed an anaphylactic allergy to, of all things, buckwheat in his late 30's. So strange.

 

I'd see an allergist, avoid those fruits and those foods related to them as well, while you wait for the appt 

Edited May 23, 2017 by sbgrace

[wintermom]

Thanks, y'all. I'll get this girl an appointment with the allergy guy. Do you know whether the allergy guy will be able to tell if she's allergic (is that still how you call it with OAS?) to other stuff, or do you have to just wait and see?

 

When I went to the allergist he started doing prick tests with the things I told him I had noticed reactions, and also did a host of other things. I discovered that I was allergic to many more things, but my symptoms to some of these things are so mild that I didn't even notice (e.g., cats, dust, mold, peanuts).

 

Someone stated that Oral Allergies only occur during environment allergy seasons, that's certainly NOT the case for me. I've got them always. Sometimes I react more severely, but they are not dependent on tree pollen or rag weed being in the air.

Edited May 22, 2017 by wintermom

[Bluegoat]

I developed a penecillan allergy in my 30s. 

 

The president of my university, who used to be a lobster fisherman, inconvieniently developed a lobster allergy. 

[EKS]

Yup, oral allergy syndrome.  Actually, there was an NPR thing on it this morning: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/05/22/529151256/if-raw-fruits-or-veggies-give-you-a-tingly-mouth-it-s-a-real-syndrome  

 

(I started getting tingling in my lips and tongue when eating cherries a few years ago at age 47.)

[1GirlTwinBoys]

I got OAS to hazelnut spread after eating it many many times.  I had to get an allergy test and tested negative.  It just makes my lips feel weird after eating.

 

OAS is not limited to fruits like someone else stated.

[TechWife]

My husband developed an allergy to pineapple in his 30's. 

[Isabella]

Allergies are just your body's way of letting you know it's headed into unhealthy territory. Treat it like a warning sign that you need to look hard at diet that is putting your body under stress and load. Mostly the culprits are grains, dairy, or sugars (all types). These have the ability to put the body's homeostasis out of whack, and although you don't react badly to them, they are usually the underlying causes. Your body can deal with it for years and keep homeostasis, but then, often suddenly, it gives up. Basically throws it's hands in the air and says 'I'm over dealing with this!' . A bit like a bad marriage!

Once you have one allergy, it's very likely that unless you make dietary changes (removing grains, dairy, sugars), other allergies will pop up. Yes, you can 'grow out of them', but only when your body finds homeostasis again.

ETA. Drinking enough water is another thing essential for allergies.

Edited May 23, 2017 by Isabella

[wintermom]

I got OAS to hazelnut spread after eating it many many times.  I had to get an allergy test and tested negative.  It just makes my lips feel weird after eating.

 

OAS is not limited to fruits like someone else stated.

 

I have oral allergies to hazelnuts and almonds, but it used to be just when they were raw. Now I'm avoiding these nuts in all forms. Last year I discovered that I could no longer eat raw pumpkin seeds. 

 

I've got the itchy mouth thing with bean sprouts and raw peas and pods. 

[wintermom]

Allergies are just your body's way of letting you know it's headed into unhealthy territory. Treat it like a warning sign that you need to look hard at diet that is putting your body under stress and load. Mostly the culprits are grains, dairy, or sugars (all types). These have the ability to put the body's homeostasis out of whack, and although you don't react badly to them, they are usually the underlying causes. Your body can deal with it for years and keep homeostasis, but then, often suddenly, it gives up. Basically throws it's hands in the air and says 'I'm over dealing with this!' . A bit like a bad marriage!

Once you have one allergy, it's very likely that unless you make dietary changes (removing grains, dairy, sugars), other allergies will pop up. Yes, you can 'grow out of them', but only when your body finds homeostasis again.

ETA. Drinking enough water is another thing essential for allergies.

 

Where do you get this information from?  It has nothing to do with your body being under any stress or load, and certainly not in children. People can be perfectly healthy and their body can still over-react to harmless substances such as strawberries and apples.

 

Here's a medical definition of allergies from medicinenet:

 

A misguided reaction to foreign substances by the immune system, the body system of defense against foreign invaders, particularly pathogens (the agents of infection). The allergic reaction is misguided in that these foreign substances are usually harmless

 

And Mayo clinic states:

 

Your immune system produces substances known as antibodies. When you have allergies, your immune system makes antibodies that identify a particular allergen as harmful, even though it isn't. When you come into contact with the allergen, your immune system's reaction can inflame your skin, sinuses, airways or digestive system.

[Bluegoat]

Allergies are just your body's way of letting you know it's headed into unhealthy territory. Treat it like a warning sign that you need to look hard at diet that is putting your body under stress and load. Mostly the culprits are grains, dairy, or sugars (all types). These have the ability to put the body's homeostasis out of whack, and although you don't react badly to them, they are usually the underlying causes. Your body can deal with it for years and keep homeostasis, but then, often suddenly, it gives up. Basically throws it's hands in the air and says 'I'm over dealing with this!' . A bit like a bad marriage!

Once you have one allergy, it's very likely that unless you make dietary changes (removing grains, dairy, sugars), other allergies will pop up. Yes, you can 'grow out of them', but only when your body finds homeostasis again.

ETA. Drinking enough water is another thing essential for allergies.

 

Maybe just stop eating altogether, then....

 

Seriously though, this isn't what allergists say about developing allergies - it's food puritanism.

[Cinder]

Ds1 got OAS at 20yo from eating macadamia nuts. He was majorly bummed because, he says, of all the nuts in the world macadamias are the best. A few years prior to this, allergy testing showed he was allergic to nearly all pollens--trees, grasses, weeds. So it's not surprising that he would react to tree nuts.

[Mergath]

The other thing that it is crucial to know about this is a mild reaction can often be a precursor to a very severe one next time.  It's kind of the opposite of building up immunity--the body is building up sensitivity, and quickly.  So it's very important to take the initial finding seriously.

 

Yup. I ate a peach a few days ago, thinking I'd just deal with the mouth swelling and itching because I LOVE peaches, and I really thought I was going to have to use my epipen. It was bad. Way worse that it was last summer. Anyone with OAS should carry an epipen just in case.

 

[Mergath]

Allergies are just your body's way of letting you know it's headed into unhealthy territory. Treat it like a warning sign that you need to look hard at diet that is putting your body under stress and load. Mostly the culprits are grains, dairy, or sugars (all types). These have the ability to put the body's homeostasis out of whack, and although you don't react badly to them, they are usually the underlying causes. Your body can deal with it for years and keep homeostasis, but then, often suddenly, it gives up. Basically throws it's hands in the air and says 'I'm over dealing with this!' . A bit like a bad marriage!

Once you have one allergy, it's very likely that unless you make dietary changes (removing grains, dairy, sugars), other allergies will pop up. Yes, you can 'grow out of them', but only when your body finds homeostasis again.

ETA. Drinking enough water is another thing essential for allergies.

 

Good grief. No, food allergies are not caused by eating the current du jour "bad" foods. And OAS specifically is a cross-reactivity to pollen allergies.

[J-rap]

I think oral allergies can appear at anytime, but they are complicated.  My dd had oral allergies -- not as an infant or toddler, but starting somewhere during elementary school age we began noticing them, and they slowly became more severe, but only with fresh fruits and vegetables.  This was not a surprise;  she broke out in a rash the day she was born!  There were some fruits in particular that caused major problems:  bananas and melons.  Weirdly, she then moved to Costa Rica for five years during college, where that food was plentiful and grown right there, and she had no allergic reaction to them at all while there, even the bananas and melons.  But if she ate bananas in the U.S. that had been imported from Costa Rica, she had the same allergic reaction again.  So there is something about the process of what happens when they are imported here.  Is it the time that they're picked?  The ones she ate there were picked later, whereas the ones that were imported and sent here were picked earlier.  Is it some additive they add to help them withstand the travel?  Is it something else?  Or maybe there are so many other allergens that affect her in the U.S. compared to Costa Rica, that her body can't deal with the extra ones here, whereas it can in CR.  

 

BUT, since eating them in CR, her oral allergies have gotten a little better here.  She's still careful, but she has noticed some improvement.

 

 

Edited May 23, 2017 by J-rap

[Mergath]

I think oral allergies can appear at anytime, but they are complicated.  My dd had oral allergies -- not as an infant or toddler, but starting somewhere during elementary school age we began noticing them, and they slowly became more severe, but only with fresh fruits and vegetables.  This was not a surprise;  she broke out in a rash the day she was born!  There were some fruits in particular that caused major problems:  bananas and melons.  Weirdly, she then moved to Costa Rica for five years during college, where that food was plentiful and grown right there, and she had no allergic reaction to them at all while there, even the bananas and melons.  But if she ate bananas in the U.S. that had been imported from Costa Rica, she had the same allergic reaction again.  So there is something about the process of what happens when they are imported here.  Is it the time that they're picked?  The ones she ate there were picked later, whereas the ones that were imported and sent here were picked earlier.  Is it some additive they add to help them withstand the travel?  Is it something else?  Or maybe there are so many other allergens that affect her in the U.S. compared to Costa Rica, that her body can't deal with the extra ones here, whereas it can in CR.  

 

BUT, since eating them in CR, her oral allergies have gotten a little better here.  She's still careful, but she has noticed some improvement.

 

Different varieties of a given fruit or vegetable can cause varying levels of reaction because they have different amounts of the proteins that cause the reaction in the first place. I can eat some kinds of apples with no problems, but other kinds make my mouth swell.

[dirty ethel rackham]

Concurring that it sounds like Oral Allergy Syndrome. I had a bunch of seasonal allergies disappear after having children, but food allergies appear in my 40s.

 

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[scrapbookbuzz]

I'm beginning to notice that I'm now sensitive to pineapple.  :glare:

Just had some, and like the previous 3 times, it makes the sides of my tongue 

feel like my tastebuds do when I take a drink of too hot coffee. *sigh*

 

I'd like to be done discovering more foods I shouldn't eat!  :crying:

[TravelingChris]

My Dh developed an allergy to peanuts as an adult.  I developed allergies to limes and to something called dragon fruit as an adult and ever since yesterday afterenoon, I have been suffering from hives and angioderma at times and it appears that I have just suddeny become allergic to a few things like the laundry detergent and elastic (is that rubber?).  Two of my kids developed anaphylactic reactions to strawberries and the youngest also to citrus. She can accidently eat a little citrus and have a milder reaction.  If she inhales citrus like people peeling oranges, spraying citrus scented hairspray, citrus scented cleaning products, etc, etc., she gets severe anaphylactic reactions.