Is hay fever giving me food allergies?
I GET hay fever and have done for many years. Lately I have been suffering from some sort of weird food allergy. My mouth becomes itchy and irritated if I eat tomatoes, peaches or oranges. I love peaches and have been eating oranges since I was a kid. I also love pizza, bolognaise and salad, so I can’t work out why tomatoes are a big deal. Is there a link between my hay fever and this new allergy?
YES, there is indeed a connection. It sounds as if you have oral allergy syndrome. This is a reaction that occurs because of pollens or similar proteins in the food you are eating. It is very common in hay-fever suffers and it is also seen in those with a latex allergy.
If you’re allergic to grass pollen there are other potential triggers as well as the ones you mention, including melons, celery and the humble spud!
If it’s birch pollen that makes you sneeze and wheeze, then fresh apples, almonds, carrots, cherries, hazelnuts, kiwis and pears may act as a trigger. A staggering 75% of those with a birch pollen allergy have oral allergy syndrome.
If weed pollen provokes your hay fever then anything from a banana to a sunflower seed or cucumber can kick things off.
As a point of reference, grass pollen starts off the allergy season in spring. It is thought to be the most aggressive type and is the most common allergen in hay fever. Birch pollen starts shortly afterwards and weed pollen kicks in towards the end of June, by which time the other two triggers have disappeared.
So what’s going on to give you an itchy mouth? This is a crossreaction between the allergyprovoking substances in pollen (proteins) and the protein in the food. Symptoms arise one to five minutes after eating a trigger food and quickly subside once it is swallowed or spat out.
Cooking a food tends to ‘denature’ the protein, which eliminates an allergic response, and the same applies to processed fruit and veg. You may also find peeled or unripe fruit are okay.
Symptoms include swelling of the lips, mouth and tongue. Sometimes the throat can feel itchy and scratchy, as can the mouth. Patients may occasionally develop a wheeze and have watery eyes and a runny nose. They may also feel nauseous and vomit. It is very rare for it to develop into a full-blown allergic reaction.
In terms of diagnosis, a food diary will help you here. Avoiding trigger foods is obviously the best treatment. Hopefully this has given you some answers. I HAD surgery to remove a benign lump from the back of my neck several weeks ago and the wound won’t heal. What is stopping it healing?
CIRCULATION is crucial for wound healing, so anything that impairs it must be addressed. An existing issue might impact healing, such as poor diabetic control, malnutrition or HIV infection.
A healthy diet with lots of vitamin A and vitamin C should speed up the healing process. Smoking and alcohol play a role, so quit the cigarettes and reduce alcohol consumption.
Sleep is a great way to repair and reboot your system, so if you aren’t getting enough shuteye, make a plan to get your sleep schedule back on track.
An infection also needs to be ruled out. A wound swab will show if there is an infection and determine the type of bug causing it. A swab will also dictate treatment because it will highlight the antibiotics needed to kill the germ.
Look at your own actions, too. If you are scratching you need to stop now. If you are dressing the wound yourself, it’s time to seek advice. Not all dressings are equal or effective and some may slow the healing process if used inappropriately.
In addition, products from your medical cabinet might do more damage than good. Ones to avoid include hydrogen peroxide and ointments that contain the antibiotic neomycin. Steroid medicine can also interfere with the healing process.
It’s time to see your GP, who will examine the wound and take a swab while a nurse can advise on the dressing. Blood tests may also be advised.