Eating food you're mildly allergic to?

Kiyomoo
Kiyomoo Posts: 354 Member
edited January 2023 in Food and Nutrition
I have a mild allergy to a lot of fruits. It is most notable in cantaloupe and oranges, but my allergy is so mild to fruit that I often forget I even have it.

I've been eating a lot of bananas lately and am noticing an allergic reaction to them. I think that this is new, or maybe I just never paid attention in the past. When I mean mild, I really mean mild. I'm eating a banana right now and I have two tiny bumps on my lip from it. Tiny. You can't see it with the naked eye, I can just faintly feel them with my tongue.

I've never hesitated to eat fruits because of my allergy, but a few months ago, my former best friend warned me that allergies can seem mild one day and then suddenly go haywire and cause your throat to clamp up one day.

I have been unable to find any articles online that talk about this. I just had a doctor appointment yesterday and forgot to ask her about it, so I won't be able to ask my doctor this question for another few months.

Was wondering if anyone else here had any information on food allergies? And how the heck mine is so mild?

Replies

  • sollyn23l2
    sollyn23l2 Posts: 1,754 Member
    This can be EXTREMELY dangerous. As in, the next time you eat something you're allergic to, you could go into anaphylactic shock and die. Within minutes. But, if you want to play around with death, you do you.
  • penguinmama87
    penguinmama87 Posts: 1,155 Member
    Kiyomoo wrote: »
    I have a mild allergy to a lot of fruits. It is most notable in cantaloupe and oranges, but my allergy is so mild to fruit that I often forget I even have it.

    I've been eating a lot of bananas lately and am noticing an allergic reaction to them. I think that this is new, or maybe I just never paid attention in the past. When I mean mild, I really mean mild. I'm eating a banana right now and I have two tiny bumps on my lip from it. Tiny. You can't see it with the naked eye, I can just faintly feel them with my tongue.

    I've never hesitated to eat fruits because of my allergy, but a few months ago, my former best friend warned me that allergies can seem mild one day and then suddenly go haywire and cause your throat to clamp up one day.

    I have been unable to find any articles online that talk about this. I just had a doctor appointment yesterday and forgot to ask her about it, so I won't be able to ask my doctor this question for another few months.

    Was wondering if anyone else here had any information on food allergies? And how the heck mine is so mild?

    This can definitely happen, though it might not.

    I have a shellfish allergy I didn't notice for years because I ate shellfish so rarely and because the effects only slowly worsened over time - at first. I got really, really sick the last time I had it, even though the number of exposures was small. I count myself lucky that I even figured out what it was.

    I would call the doctor's office (if necessary) and see if you get a referral to an allergist if you don't already have one, who can test you for the specific things you're allergic to, let you know what you might want to avoid in the future that are similar. Some allergies are spontaneous, some are related, some do go away on their own. An allergist can tell you what is likely for your case and the specific allergens you react to.

    I do know of people who were able to receive treatment for their allergies that helped them go away, even life-threatening ones. But this is something you would discuss with your doctor. For some people, complete avoidance (and lifesaving measures carried with them like an epipen) is the best option.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,207 Member
    edited January 2023
    sollyn23l2 wrote: »
    This can be EXTREMELY dangerous. As in, the next time you eat something you're allergic to, you could go into anaphylactic shock and die. Within minutes. But, if you want to play around with death, you do you.

    To add: there's nothing in fruit that you can't get in vegetables. This doesn't mean that vegetable are free of compounds that can cause problems, simply because a plants natural defense protocol is chemical warfare after all.
  • neanderthin
    neanderthin Posts: 10,207 Member
    edited January 2023
    .

  • glassyo
    glassyo Posts: 7,735 Member
    Now that that's out of the way, why's your former best friend a former?

    :)
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,944 Member
    I was diagnosed as being allergic to all fruit due to a cross from my pollen allergy. I was told that microwaving fruit for 30 seconds before eating breaks down the protein that arises from the pollen allergy. It was recommended to chill the fruit afterwards to make it more palatable. Check if this is the same case for your particular allergy.
  • acpgee
    acpgee Posts: 7,944 Member
    I forgot to mention, for my fruit allergy arising a pollen crossover, cooked fruit was fine. It was only eating raw fruit that was a potential problem.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    I forgot to mention, for my fruit allergy arising a pollen crossover, cooked fruit was fine. It was only eating raw fruit that was a potential problem.

    Yes, I have seen this on other threads here and was going to bring it up but you beat me to it :smiley:
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    Kiyomoo wrote: »
    I have a mild allergy to a lot of fruits. It is most notable in cantaloupe and oranges, but my allergy is so mild to fruit that I often forget I even have it.

    I've been eating a lot of bananas lately and am noticing an allergic reaction to them. I think that this is new, or maybe I just never paid attention in the past. When I mean mild, I really mean mild. I'm eating a banana right now and I have two tiny bumps on my lip from it. Tiny. You can't see it with the naked eye, I can just faintly feel them with my tongue.

    I've never hesitated to eat fruits because of my allergy, but a few months ago, my former best friend warned me that allergies can seem mild one day and then suddenly go haywire and cause your throat to clamp up one day.

    I have been unable to find any articles online that talk about this. I just had a doctor appointment yesterday and forgot to ask her about it, so I won't be able to ask my doctor this question for another few months.

    Was wondering if anyone else here had any information on food allergies? And how the heck mine is so mild?

    I'm able to and do message my doctor anytime. But minimally, you should be able to call and ask for a referral to an allergist.
  • claireychn074
    claireychn074 Posts: 1,596 Member
    I’m allergic to coriander and have been for years. I won’t eat a curry I haven’t made, but I do eat my own which includes garam masala (it contains coriander). I use the same brand all the time so I know how much I can use and cope with. But - my allergy gives me asthma and not anaphylaxis. Could still be serious which is why I won’t eat anything I’ve bought which includes coriander, garam masala, mixed spice or which lists “spices” without any details. My allergies haven’t got any worse, but I know it could happen.
  • IAmTheGlue
    IAmTheGlue Posts: 701 Member
    I would not mess around with food allergies. My cousin went into anaphylactic shock from holding a plate with shrimp on it in her waitressing job. Her mild shellfish allergy nearly killed her from non-ingestion exposure. I have a gluten allergy and I don’t mess with wheat flour, even if I’m not the one eating it
  • Kiyomoo
    Kiyomoo Posts: 354 Member
    acpgee wrote: »
    I forgot to mention, for my fruit allergy arising a pollen crossover, cooked fruit was fine. It was only eating raw fruit that was a potential problem.

    I'm pretty sure this is what I have after looking into it. I have pretty bad seasonal allergies, always have. As a kid, my mother constantly took me to the doctor during allergy season because my symptoms were so bad it seemed like I had strep throat.
    Then one season, my mom didn't take me to the doctor because it was just the same thing all over again. Turns out the one time she didn't take me was the one time I did have strep throat! Funny. So I guess if my seasonal allergies are this bad, even just a tiny bit of pollen will mess with me. I'm also allergic to certain rodent beddings, guessing that's related too.
  • jmjanne1
    jmjanne1 Posts: 6 Member
    Just avoid the foods you're allergic to. I once had a mild allergy to wheat and didn't think it a problem, as I would get slightly nasal, as well as appear to retain some water. I ignored it until one day my throat swelled almost shut. Allergies can crop up after years of no allergies and they can get worse or better...
  • ghrmj
    ghrmj Posts: 86 Member
    Kiyomoo wrote: »
    I have a mild allergy to a lot of fruits. It is most notable in cantaloupe and oranges, but my allergy is so mild to fruit that I often forget I even have it.

    I've been eating a lot of bananas lately and am noticing an allergic reaction to them. I think that this is new, or maybe I just never paid attention in the past. When I mean mild, I really mean mild. I'm eating a banana right now and I have two tiny bumps on my lip from it. Tiny. You can't see it with the naked eye, I can just faintly feel them with my tongue.

    I've never hesitated to eat fruits because of my allergy, but a few months ago, my former best friend warned me that allergies can seem mild one day and then suddenly go haywire and cause your throat to clamp up one day.

    I have been unable to find any articles online that talk about this. I just had a doctor appointment yesterday and forgot to ask her about it, so I won't be able to ask my doctor this question for another few months.

    Was wondering if anyone else here had any information on food allergies? And how the heck mine is so mild?

    I do the same thing - I am allergic to chick peas and pretty sure that I have a mild allergy to peanuts (and maybe other legumes) because they make my tongue hurt, only if I eat a lot of them. But I have been eating them my whole life and still do.

    I have also heard that you have to be careful because allergies can get worse suddenly. My chick pea allergy showed up quite late in life even though I had been eating them for a while (not anaphylactic - but they do make my tongue swell up and hurt, and my mouth itch).