The Makings of an Oral Allergy Syndrome Cookbook: Recipes for Oral Allergy Syndrome (2024)

FAQs

What foods should be avoided with oral allergies? ›

If you are allergic to birch tree pollen, you may develop oral symptoms when eating apples, peaches, apricots, cherries, plums, pears, almonds, hazelnuts, carrots, celery, parsley, caraway, fennel, coriander, aniseed, soybeans, or peanuts.

Overview. Pollen Food Allergy Syndrome (PFAS), also known as oral allergy syndrome, is caused by cross-reacting allergens found in both pollen and raw fruits, vegetables, or some tree nuts. The immune system recognizes the pollen and similar proteins in the food and directs an allergic response to it.

There's not really a way to fix oral allergy syndrome, though some treatments might help prevent a reaction in the future. For some people, OAS gets better over time, or their reaction to certain foods is more tolerable.

What is the most powerful natural antihistamine? Researchers haven't yet established any natural product as the “best” or “most powerful.” Natural antihistamines with the most research backing their use include stinging nettle, vitamin C, quercetin, butterbur, bromelain, and probiotics.

Avoid eating the foods raw. Cooking or heating generally destroys the proteins that cause OAS (e.g. raw apples may cause itching of the throat but not apples in a baked pie) Consider canned fruit, the canned version may be better tolerated than its raw counterpart (e.g. canned peaches vs. raw peaches)

OAS is likely to be life long and some children will become allergic to other fruit and vegetables. If your child has mild oral allergy syndrome, they may tolerate peeled fruit, unripe or partially ripened fruit or really fresh fruit that's just been picked.

Spicy foods: Too much spice in your food can worsen allergy symptoms such as runny nose and watery eyes. Processed foods: Deep-fried foods and foods made with refined flour, sugar, or a ton of salt can worsen allergy symptoms. Beer: Beer can also worsen allergy symptoms, especially in people allergic to grass.

Tingling or itching in the mouth. Hives, itching or eczema. Swelling of the lips, face, tongue, and throat or other parts of the body. Wheezing, nasal congestion or trouble breathing.

Oral immunotherapy may be able to help. Oral immunotherapy, or OIT, helps desensitize patients to the very foods they are allergic to by giving them small quantities of the food allergen to ingest every day and gradually building their body's resistance to the food.

People with birch-pollen allergy can develop symptoms either immediately or up to 1 hour after eating fresh avocado or an avocado-containing food. Symptoms comprise local reactions in the mouth and throat with itching and inflammation (called oral allergy syndrome, OAS).

What is the blood test for oral allergy syndrome? ›

A blood test will measure the amounts of IgE antibodies that the immune system has deployed as a response to food-based proteins. Once drawn, the blood is sent to a lab to be evaluated. Blood tests are safe for adults as well as infants and children.

As you can see from the chart below, the 2024 maximum monthly amount paid by OAS is $713.34 for people between the age of 65 and 74, which comes out to $8,560.08 a year. If you are age 75 or over, the maximum payment is $784.67 in 2024. The amount you're eligible for also depends on the income you receive.

Freezing does not alter antigenic properties of fresh fruits for skin testing in patients with birch tree pollen–induced oral allergy syndrome. The oral allergy syndrome (OAS) describes an allergic reaction that occurs on ingestion of certain fresh fruits and vegetables in pollen-sensitized subjects.

Antihistamines, epinephrine (for severe reactions) and immunotherapy are three courses of action. But there isn't a specific medication to treat oral allergy syndrome. In rare cases, it can cause a life-threatening reaction known as anaphylaxis.

A few studies have shown that allergy shots to the cross- reacting pollens can reduce or eliminate the OAS symptoms. Antihistamines such as Zyrtec, Benadryl, or Allegra can relieve the itching or mouth tingling. More severe reactions, although rare can be treated with epinephrine.

While symptoms can certainly be uncomfortable, OAS is not considered a life-threatening allergy. Reactions typically last a matter of minutes to an hour. Symptoms of an oral allergy syndrome reaction include: Tingling and itching in the mouth, throat, and lips.

The majority of cases of food pollen syndrome reactions are mild such as mouth or lip itching or swelling, and stopping eating the food and drinking some water may be all you need to do reduce or eliminate the symptoms.