Oral allergy- escalating?

[WinsomeCreek]

Within the last 2-3 years I have developed oral allergies to a few fresh fruits. Reaction was generally just mouth itching. It was bad enough though to stop eating raw apples, pears and cherries. Tonight I had three apple slices. The first didn't bother my mouth too much so I ate the other two. Now, a couple of hours later, my throat feels swollen and like there's a lump stuck all the way down. I haven't had anything else to eat since. Does anyone know about oral allergies? Is this an allergic reaction? Would it help to eat something else? Take benadryl? Dh is out of town and it is too late to call anyone so I'd appreciate any voices of experience. Thanks.

[Starr]

I gave dd benadryl and we waited it out after looking it up online. Are you feeling better?

[Mom in High Heels]

I have these exact symptoms, plus my ears (interior)  itch.  It has gotten worse in the past few years.  If I eat an apple, and it touches my lips, they swell up making me look like I've been kissing a beehive.  I found that Pink Lady apples cause no reaction at all.  Cherries, coconuts, carrots, apricots and few other foods do the same.  IME, you really just have to wait for the reaction to subside on its own, you know, as long as you can still breathe and aren't turning blue.  If you break out into hives (carrots and coconuts do this to me, along with the itchy mouth, throat and ears), you should take a benadryl.  HTH.

 

PS  Allergies suck!

[Tap]

Brush teeth, floss, rinse.......Take Benadryl and go to bed. 

 

Research oral allergies and realize that apples are a common offender.  It can also be related to a birch allergy, which if they are in your area, could be pollinating right now. 

 

 

 

I notice that the more I stay away from my allergens, the more I can splurge in one setting occasionally.  If I am really good about avoiding tomatoes and potatoes, I can have a few bites of cooked salsa and be fine.  If I have a few bites of potatoes every day (a few potato chips, a bite of mashed potatoes to  check seasoning as I make dinner etc) , just a single bite of tomatoes will make my mouth break out. 

 

 

[WinsomeCreek]

Thanks. I took Benadryl and think I'll go back to avoiding the fresh fruit I love. Throat still feels kind of lumpy, but nothing that seems dangerous. Just frustrating and uncomfortable. I never heard of OA before this all started a few years ago.

 

Heels: That is so interesting about pink lady apples. I usually get honeycrisps for the family, which causes the super itchy mouth, but the apple slices I had tonight were a different variety. I'm not going to experiment though. Maybe fun to look up some night when I can't sleep (tonight I have the help of Benadryl).

[Elfknitter.#]

My mother can't eat shrimp because first she gets an itch that can stretch from her inner throat up into her inner ear. If she consumes too much, she feels a lump in her throat followed by a tightness. Her allergy began after she gave birth to me. It tends to happen with most shellfish.

 

Sounds like an allergy to me.

[Jyniffrec]

I have similar reactions to what everyone else describes with any raw vegetable besides bagged salad. FYI, Advil helps me (I can't take Benadryl).

[Lolly]

Plenty of experience in our house. Yes, liquid Benadryl. It coats and soothes the reaction at point of contact. Much better than the little pill. Yes, oral allergy syndrome can escalate. The more frequently the food is consumed, but worse the reactions seem to be. More foods seem to add to the equation as time goes by too. Eating other foods doesn't seem to help, but drinking a nice bubbly cold Coke (with caffene) does. But, mostly, liquid Benadryl. It is the key.