Apples - I'm allergic now??

NJTeacher411
NJTeacher411 Posts: 50 Member
edited December 21 in Food and Nutrition
I used to eat apples all of the time. I just started eating them again, and every time I do, the inside of my mouth starts itching like crazy. I was never allergic before. What gives?? This is going to suck, if I can't have apples.
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Replies

  • momtokgo
    momtokgo Posts: 446 Member
    I had the same thing happen with apples and cherries, and my doc said it could also be an allergy to to the pesticides (unless your eating organic already?)
  • whatthedeuce23
    whatthedeuce23 Posts: 63 Member
    I developed my allergy at 8 years old. There's just some raw produce I'm sensitive to I guess, but cooking it changes the protein so I'm able to eat cooked apples, and spinach, cauliflower, pineapple, and a few other things!
    Also - weirdly enough, I can eat Asian Pears with no reaction - and they're quite similar to apples! Maybe give those a try?
  • jcpmoore
    jcpmoore Posts: 796 Member
    Have you tried organize apples? If it's the pesticide they would be okay. If they're not okay it's the apples. Sorry it's affecting you that way. It really sucks.
  • jennmodugno
    jennmodugno Posts: 363 Member
    I know it sounds weird, but my sister developed an allergy to apples when she was 25, so it does happen. If it's a full allergy, you need to watch many of the foods you buy - there are so many that have apples hidden in them that you may not realize, drinks especially.
  • whalecb
    whalecb Posts: 20 Member
    The same thing happens to me but not just apples. Stone fruit and melons are bad too. I've tried organic and using cleaners and everything else. Nothing helps! The only time I can eat apples is in the fall when I pick them right off of the tree.
  • NJTeacher411
    NJTeacher411 Posts: 50 Member
    I noticed that when I ate them off the tree in the fall, they didn't have an effect on me.
  • Tropical_Turtle
    Tropical_Turtle Posts: 2,236 Member
    I acquired an allergy to bananas and strawberries. Now I do not have an allergy to any of them - lasted for about 8 years or so

    It is crazy but it can happen
  • vyanadevi
    vyanadevi Posts: 134 Member
    The same thing happens to me but not just apples. Stone fruit and melons are bad too. I've tried organic and using cleaners and everything else. Nothing helps! The only time I can eat apples is in the fall when I pick them right off of the tree.

    Same thing happens to me, even eating organic or using cleaners, I can't eat them unless they have been cooked a little, then I can have them. I guess it's just our environment changing and our bodies as well. I can have the apples, when I pick them myself from the orchard also.
  • SilkyHotspur
    SilkyHotspur Posts: 233 Member
    Other than my other standard allergies (anything that lives and grows)....and shellfish. I developed allergies to Apples, Cherries, Pears, Peaches....so when they're in season, or I know i'll be eating one, I pop a 24hr Zyrtec...works for small Apple/Cherry allergies.....would never try for Shellfish, would probably be the last thing I ever did.
  • KharismaticKayteh
    KharismaticKayteh Posts: 322 Member
    It's said that allergies are in your genes, but they're sometimes not "unlocked" for several years. Some people develop an allergy at 8, others at 25. My aunt is 40-something, and she's only been allergic to peanuts for the past ten years or so.
  • missattitude57
    missattitude57 Posts: 77
    Have you tried peeling them? If it's pesticides, they might just be on the skin. I love peeled, sliced apple with cinnamon sugar or peanut butter :)
  • jcamby
    jcamby Posts: 200 Member
    I got allergic to apples when I was 18...it does happen. Now I can't eat most fresh fruit. I can once I cook them to break down what is making me allergic. It's an oral allergy. It sucks as I used to love apples!
  • jessbb23
    jessbb23 Posts: 11 Member
    I also had this happen 5 years ago when I was 32. At the same time I found out I have an allergy to peanuts, eggs and strawberries. All foods I had eaten for years with no problems. I had been suffering and didn't know why. I did eat an apple slice the other day and was ok. My doctor explained it to me this way. Think of your body having food "buckets" . With foods that we eat all the time sometimes the buckets overflow and our bodies develop allergies or intolerances to them. He advised me not to eat the same foods all the time or it could happen with other foods. I have started to test this theory and have had some egg this past month. It seems if I eat it in a baked good and not every day I can tolerate it in small amounts.
    Sorry this happened to you....it sucks!
  • mpaige1969
    mpaige1969 Posts: 52
    sorry to hear this...I understand tho...my son has egg ..peanut..and shellfish allergies---not me personally allergic but creates a challenge to cook!
  • hcorbin29
    hcorbin29 Posts: 24 Member
    I have this exact same issue. Though, it develops to be a new fruit/veggie every few years. Eventually, it seems as though I'll be allergic to everything! I finally found an allergist at John's Hopkins in Baltimore, MD that knows her stuff. Apparently it's called Oral Allergy Syndrome The proteins/enzymes in fresh fruits and veggies are very similar to those in tree/grass pollen. Therefore, those of us with tree/grass allergies bodies think that we are ingesting massive quantities of pollen, not fruit, therefore we have an allergic reaction. Having allergy shots will typically not help, as it's not actually the fruit or vegetable that you're allergic to. The only real thing to do is to cook the fruits/veggies as it will denature the enzyme that you are "allergic" to. Also, taking an antihistamine (Benadryl) will ease the issues should you eat something you shouldn't. For more information on the different trees that are associated with different fruits, check out this link: http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/oral-allergy-syndrome-foods.
  • carld256
    carld256 Posts: 855 Member
    An apple allergy would make me a very sad panda.
  • SilkyHotspur
    SilkyHotspur Posts: 233 Member
    I have this exact same issue. Though, it develops to be a new fruit/veggie every few years. Eventually, it seems as though I'll be allergic to everything! I finally found an allergist at John's Hopkins in Baltimore, MD that knows her stuff. Apparently it's called Oral Allergy Syndrome The proteins/enzymes in fresh fruits and veggies are very similar to those in tree/grass pollen. Therefore, those of us with tree/grass allergies bodies think that we are ingesting massive quantities of pollen, not fruit, therefore we have an allergic reaction. Having allergy shots will typically not help, as it's not actually the fruit or vegetable that you're allergic to. The only real thing to do is to cook the fruits/veggies as it will denature the enzyme that you are "allergic" to. Also, taking an antihistamine (Benadryl) will ease the issues should you eat something you shouldn't. For more information on the different trees that are associated with different fruits, check out this link: http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/oral-allergy-syndrome-foods.

    Sounds pretty much what I end up with....it really sucks when White Peaches are in, and i'm out in the car with the wife....pick some up, and have to wait till i get home...then wait an hour for pills to work....
  • hcorbin29
    hcorbin29 Posts: 24 Member
    Sounds pretty much what I end up with....it really sucks when White Peaches are in, and i'm out in the car with the wife....pick some up, and have to wait till i get home...then wait an hour for pills to work....

    I do the same thing some times. I love fresh cherries but they're a killer for me. Sometimes you just gotta have some cherries!
  • latinahada
    latinahada Posts: 168
    Try peeling the apple (if you haven't done so already)...It could actually be the pollen on the apple peel that could be causing this. Just a suggestion, as I saw Dr. Oz talking about this on the Today Show a few weeks ago!
  • takehimaway
    takehimaway Posts: 499 Member
    I'm allergic to pineapple, avocado, tomato, and bananas. I thought it was just something I had to deal with. I still eat avocado something fierce though!
  • azsuzi
    azsuzi Posts: 1,169 Member
    I have this exact same issue. Though, it develops to be a new fruit/veggie every few years. Eventually, it seems as though I'll be allergic to everything! I finally found an allergist at John's Hopkins in Baltimore, MD that knows her stuff. Apparently it's called Oral Allergy Syndrome The proteins/enzymes in fresh fruits and veggies are very similar to those in tree/grass pollen. Therefore, those of us with tree/grass allergies bodies think that we are ingesting massive quantities of pollen, not fruit, therefore we have an allergic reaction. Having allergy shots will typically not help, as it's not actually the fruit or vegetable that you're allergic to. The only real thing to do is to cook the fruits/veggies as it will denature the enzyme that you are "allergic" to. Also, taking an antihistamine (Benadryl) will ease the issues should you eat something you shouldn't. For more information on the different trees that are associated with different fruits, check out this link: http://www.webmd.com/allergies/features/oral-allergy-syndrome-foods.
    This is really interesting info - thanks! My son has complained of the same thing and I thought it was just an excuse so he wouldn't have to eat fruits and veggies (he's 19 now but has been saying this for years). He is allergic to a bunch of trees and grasses - so now this makes sense!!
  • _onYxx_
    _onYxx_ Posts: 9 Member
    I have had this for years. I'm curious, what's the downside of eating the apples anyway, besides the itchy sensation? I admit, I just eat them anyway and I'm still alive...I think.

    Also, I seem experience the itch in my mouth/throat whether the apples are organic or not. And the "allergy" seems to come and go. I have been eating an apple every day for the past several months and have experienced the itch only a few times.
  • hcorbin29
    hcorbin29 Posts: 24 Member
    This is really interesting info - thanks! My son has complained of the same thing and I thought it was just an excuse so he wouldn't have to eat fruits and veggies (he's 19 now but has been saying this for years). He is allergic to a bunch of trees and grasses - so now this makes sense!!

    My mom said the same thing! HAHA She swore that I hated apples and carrots when I really love them, just allergic!
  • hcorbin29
    hcorbin29 Posts: 24 Member
    I have had this for years. I'm curious, what's the downside of eating the apples anyway, besides the itchy sensation? I admit, I just eat them anyway and I'm still alive...I think.

    Also, I seem experience the itch in my mouth/throat whether the apples are organic or not. And the "allergy" seems to come and go. I have been eating an apple every day for the past several months and have experienced the itch only a few times.

    Some people also have upset stomachs after they eat the fruits/veggies they are allergic to. i don't but have met a few who have. Usually, OAS symptoms aren't severe enough to be life-threatening, just uncomfortable. So, if I'm really craving something, I'll eat it anyway.
  • whalecb
    whalecb Posts: 20 Member
    Have you tried peeling them? If it's pesticides, they might just be on the skin. I love peeled, sliced apple with cinnamon sugar or peanut butter :)

    Peeling doesn't help either. Cooked is ok and if I pick them fresh myself, other than that, it's really uncomfortable.
  • love2cycle
    love2cycle Posts: 448 Member
    My daughter developed this allergy the last few years. She is now 21. She tried an organic apple, and got the same reaction. Itchy, and it also gets worse every time. She can eat applesauce, though.
  • xlunins
    xlunins Posts: 15 Member
    I have the same allergy, to raw apples, cherries, pears, peaches, figs, etc. I've been cutting off skin, buying farmer's market/organic or growing my own and it makes no difference. Turns out it's a severe reaction to tree pollen allergy. Once cooked though I can eat any fruit, I let apples simmer in a little water for maybe 10-15 minutes, they're still good.
  • neeping
    neeping Posts: 1
    http://health.usnews.com/health-news/articles/2007/12/11/a-pesky-allergy-to-fruit-and-vegetables

    The allergies can occur at any point in your life and this article talks about which pollen you are allergic to with whichever groups of food that is giving you problems and also lists all the things you can do to break down the proteins that trigger the reaction.
  • ilovedeadlifts
    ilovedeadlifts Posts: 2,923 Member
    as said a few times already. do organic apples have the same effect?

    I feel like its probably a pesticide
  • agggie550
    agggie550 Posts: 281 Member
    Make sure you wash them good, I use to have that same issue with a lot of raw fruits and vegetables and come to find out I wasn't allergic to the fruit itself, but the chemicals that they use on the fruit that would cause my throat and mouth to itch.
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