Allergized

About 20% of the population suffers from pollen allergy, and if you are one of the unfortunate, you should be aware of certain kinds of foods. See the list here.

The pollen season is upon us. For those, who suffer from allergies, this time in the year is tough to get through, but many people with pollen allergy can also react to a number of foods.

If you suffer from pollen allergy, you might also react to certain kinds of food – for instance when you peel potatoes or eat peaches or apricots. Responses may be itching in the mouth, and some say that the itching seems to continue right out of the ears.

The substances which cause allergies, are proteins. The proteins found in pollen are related to those proteins which are in fruit and vegetables, and the immune system may have difficulties separating them from each other. This may lead to a so-called cross-reaction, where pollen allergic persons reacts allergic to something they have never eaten before.

Sneezing and running eyes

Signs of pollen allergy is sneezing, a runny nose and eyes running (hay fever) together with an annoying itching. The nose might also be so congested that it may be difficult to breathe. In some cases, pollen allergy may cause symptoms from the lungs (asthma).

If you are allergic to pollen you might experience allergic symptoms when you eat certain fruits, vegetables, nuts or spices. The body reacts because it can not distinguish between the allergenic substances (the allergens) in pollen and similar substances in food. This is called cross-reactions.

Every other person with allergies to both birch, grass and mogwort pollen experience symptoms when they eat certain nuts, fruits and vegetables. Among those with only have birch pollen allergy, every three experience cross-reactions.

Some pollen allergic persons may experience symptoms year round, if they eat food that cross reacts with pollen. Others will only have symptoms in the pollen season.

If you suffer from birch pollen allergy, you might also experience symptoms from cross-reacting food when it is the season for pollen from alder, elm or hazel. Similarly, people with allergies to alder, elm and hazel respond to the same food as with birch pollen allergy.

It does not help on the symptoms from the pollen allergy it self that you avoid the foods that cross reacts with pollen.

Symptoms

When responding to food, which cross reacts with pollen, the most common symptoms are itching and swelling on the lips and in the mouth and throat. Some experience that the itching continues right out to the ears.

More rare are symptoms such as hives (rash and itching), asthma and stomach and ingestion problems. A very few people develops eczema on their hands when they touch on some of the food that cross reacts with pollen.

In cases where the reactions are severe such as swelling of the throat and neck, and the cause is not known, the doctor will in some cases perform an allergy test and make a provocation with the suspect foods.

If the doctor chooses to make an allergy test for the cross-reacting food, you should be aware of false positive results. For instance, many with grass pollen allergy will receive a positive response for wheat and other cereal products, when examining the blood sample, but they have no symptoms when they eat wheat. There they should not avoid wheat.

Below is a list of foods that might cross react with pollen.

Birch pollen

Food, which might cause allergic reactions when suffering from birch pollen allergy

Fruit: apricot, plum, peach, cherry, kiwi, nectarine, pear, apple

Vegetables: carrot, potato, tomato, pepper, celery

Nuts: hazelnut, peanut, almond, Brazil nut, walnut

Grass pollen

Food, which might cause allergic reactions when suffering from grass pollen allergy

Fruit: orange, melon

Vegetables: tomato, pea

Nuts: Groundnut / peanut

Mugwort / Sagebrush pollen

Food, which might cause allergic reactions when suffering from Mugwort / Sagebrush pollen allergy

Fruit: Melon, sun flower seeds

Vegetables: Pepper, carrot, parsnip, parsley root, celery

Herbs: Camille, Parsley

Spices and herbs

Spices and herbs, which may cause allergic reactions when suffering from pollen allergy

Anis, curry powder, marjoram, basil, coriander, oregano, dill, caraway, paprika, tarragon, meat, black pepper, fennel, wormwood, thyme.

Exotic fruits and vegetables

Some people with pollen allergy might get unexpected symptoms when they eat raw exotic fruits and vegetables, such as on travel. If you normally have strong reactions against food, it is a good idea to start with little bits of fruit and vegetables until you know whether you can tolerate them or not.

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