Oral allergy syndrome?

I feel like I'm the only person with this issue and nobody really knows what to do about it, myself included! Hoping I can find someone who gets it and can offer some advice or tips.

I figured out I had this many years ago when I realized that a LOT of raw fruits/veggies/nuts make my mouth really itchy and my throat itch/slightly swollen. It makes it very frustrating to try to eat healthy because it means I can't consume a lot of the raw fruit and veg I used to (I have issues with apples, bananas, tomatoes, peaches, carrots, some nuts, and a lot of other stuff). It's really quite frustrating because I LOVE all of these in their raw form (save for tomatoes lol) and now I can't consume any of them unless they're cooked...and I really detest a lot of these in their cooked forms.

How do y'all get around it? Does anyone else have this issue too? I hate to be picky, but I hate cooked fruits and a lot of the veg I like raw, I can't stand the way it tastes/feels cooked. Any tips?

Replies

LyndaBSS

I would firstly suggest that you see a doctor for a diagnosis and treatment.

Beyond that, I would suggest you keep trying different cooking methods until something clicks. Good luck!

breanamock

I have the same problem with raw cherries and jackfruit. Love them, but they make my lips/mouth swell. Since it’s just the two, I simply avoid eating them.

You could try out different fruits/veggies: go to the grocery store (or an Asian/African/whatever kind of interesting market you have in town) and get one or two of some things you’ve never eaten. Try them raw, or look up recipes that use them. This could help you build up a repertoire of fruits and veggies that you like, that don’t cause a reaction.

Or you could look up different recipes that might be totally different from the cooked versions you dislike. For example, boiled carrots are nasty in my opinion, but glazed or roasted carrots are wonderful. I can’t stand asparagus in most preparations, but I love it sautéed with a little butter and lemon juice. A little balsamic vinegar and roasting takes Brussels sprouts from bitter and soggy to lovely. Again, try just a few with each new way of cooking so you don’t have tons of it to deal with if you don’t like it, lol.

Or see if just blanching (dipping in boiling water for a few moments, then in ice to stop the cooking) is enough to stop the reaction. I’ve not tried that, since my two fruits are easy to avoid, but it might be an option.

I know it’s frustrating to not be able to eat lots of healthy things. Hopefully you’ll find enough options to make you happy and healthy.

moonangel12

I was diagnosed with this by an allergist - certain foods give me hives, but only sometimes. It depends on if environmental allergens already have my body reacting. Winter time I tend to be OK. And the funny thing is, when I was doing allergy shots years ago I could eat foods I hadn’t been able to eat for years! But now that they are wearing off I am starting to have issues again.

Mine are: bananas, dates, honey (I think it depends on how much of my allergens are in it because it’s not always an issue), cantaloupe, most raw nuts, and there are a few others I haven’t pinpointed yet. I get hives on my jaw line and behind my ears, along with the funky feeling mouth and throat.

There are commonly associated environmental/food allergen links that are helpful to research because it can narrow things down, or if you are reacting maybe help pinpoint the culprit.

kai1243

Thanks everyone for the suggestions!! Definitely super helpful

Fuzzipeg

Doctors are not necessarily the best people to approach with regard to dietary allergies. In the UK I would send anyone in the direction of a BANT registered nutritionist, elsewhere else try to find an allergist. This is such a multifaceted problem, anything can cause an allergy in some but not in others.

May I suggest you read into Histamine intolerance, this can be a problem of insufficient Daohistamineaise, which can be contributed to by insufficient b6 and vit c but its complicated because it is, to generalise a reaction to food as it decomposes, some of us need to have their foods really fresh, at least until the problem is resolved. (There are products which can help but they are sold as helping with digesting chocolate or wine and that sort of thing which make it all seem rather trivial, to me when the issues are so diverse).

Salicylate Sensitivity, also known as Salicylate Intolerance, identified by an Australian hospital research department, Ann Swaine et-al, can underlie fruit and veg problems, salicylate is produced by many forms of plant life to protect itself from moulds and mildews. Reactions can extend to perfumed cleaning and personal care products, its vast. Recent scientific research indicates along with lacking a certain enzyme a degree of pancreatic inadequacy can be present.

Linking these two ideas to the post above, Bananas are high histamine, honey and dates are higher salicylate herbs and spices are off the scale, our bodies are so very complicated. I found my doctor does not have the slightest clue. Immunology may help but even there you need to find a real specialist because some just miss the biggest signposts. Good luck

moonangel12

YES @Fuzzipeg!!

Even “healthy” foods can trigger MAJOR issues in people, some of them quite unexpected. My daughter (8) was almost diagnosed as bipolar and we were on the verge of heavy meds for her because she was violent and out.of.control!
We found the Feingold Diet (huge focus on eliminating salicylate foods). What a God send - we have our daughter back! The neurologist actually suspects she has a type of epilepsy, and doing research and watching videos paired with our experiences with her I am thinking he is spot on. Thing is, we didn’t have her tested until 5 weeks after starting Feingold, a diet that has been researched and found to help epilepsy symptoms, even in people who weren’t responding to traditional medications.

Very few people understand her “complicated” diet. The counselor we were seeing (because I was at my wit’s end and near total break down) asked what had changed to cause such a drastic uptick in her episodes... we couldn’t pinpoint anything! But then, after starting Feingold and seeing such drastic results, I realized her new found love of jalapeño anything the months prior was likely the culprit - she can’t have even the slightest bit of tomato or pepper (not including peppercorn, thankfully) without a change in behavior.

I don’t think it’s coincidence she’s my food allergy kid - almost died a couple times.

peggy_polenta

have you tried grilling fruit? it can be delicious that way all the sugars come up and crystalize. also what about canning your fruits and veg? would that help? stewed tomatoes, canned beans...canned peaches...all so delcious...though i m not sure if canning would help.

hroderick

try using some vegetable wash. maybe try organic versions, but wash would be more effective because there are some nasty organic sprays too.

mbaker566

wash them first (if you haven't already tried)
track which ones are giving you the trouble. there might be a family of fruit or veggies that are the problem
try grilling or steaming. depending on what is giving you the issue-pollen, spray-the heat changes the chemical composition
carrots and strawberries are my main culprits-i HATE cooked carrots so no carrots for me any more

Toria718

I have this issue too, apples, oranges, bananas, strawberry, tomato, pineapple, grapes. My mouth tingles, swells, and the skin is burned off my tongue.

It sucks, my children inherited this lovely trait too. Have to cook all fruits and vegetables before we can eat them. Luckily my children love veggies and take an allergy medication prescribed by their gastroenterologist to help with any issues if they are eating where I do not have control. They have a protein intolerance issue too, poor kids.

We eat a lot of rice, turkey, and roasted/steamed vegetables. My daughters take their medicine incase they break into a piece of fruit before I can prepare it for them.

Saskatchebun

I've got Oral Allergy Syndrome (extensive list) too. I just take regular recipes and try to sub out for what I can eat/like...or use those recipe builders that suggest based off what ingredients you want it to use/can eat. It's a pain but doable - you got this!