- OAS is an allergic reaction to produce with similar proteins to some pollens
- Up to 70 percent of people with pollen allergies have symptoms
- The main triggers are birch trees, timothy and orchard grass, and weeds
If your mouth or throat get itchy when you eat certain foods and you have pollen allergies, then you may have oral allergy syndrome (OAS) - a reaction to fruits and vegetables that have similar proteins to certain pollens
Millions are plagued by seasonal allergies, a fierce reaction to pollen which can last from the beginning to spring to the end of summer.
You may try taking antihistamines and avoiding grassy areas.
But many sufferers are also baffled by another, seemingly unrelated, side effect: a bizarre reaction to fruit.
Indeed, up to 70 percent of people with pollen allergies experience unpleasant reactions after eating certain foods.
Some may get an itchy mouth when they eat an apple, or a swollen throat when they eat an orange.
While the connection is not widely discussed, it is extremely common.
The condition is known among medics as oral allergy syndrome (OAS) - an allergic reaction to raw fruits and vegetables that have similar proteins to certain pollens.
When inhalant allergies are more common, such as hay fever, the body's immune system recognizes and essentially mistakes a plant protein in the food for pollen, and this irritant triggers what allergy specialists call a cross reaction.
Depending on the season and your pollen allergy, here are the foods you should avoid:
SPRING - BIRCH
Oral allergies occur in up to 40 percent of all hay fever sufferers who are allergic to Silver Birch tree pollen.
This is the first pollen to appear in the hay fever season and symptoms are prevalent roughly from February to April.
TRY TO AVOID:
Oral allergies occur in up to 40 percent of all hay fever sufferers who are allergic to Silver Birch tree pollen. Some foods include apples, cherries, plums and almonds
SUMMER - GRASS (TIMOTHY AND ORCHARD)
Timothy grass is of the world's most common grasses that flowers from early summer to midsummer.
Just before or during flowering is the usual time for hay cutting, a circumstance that may reduce pollen exposure.
Orchard grass can grow up to three or four feet high if left untrimmed and is usually planted beneath orchard trees as a ground cover.
TRY TO AVOID:
Timothy and orchard grass can grow up to three feet high, which helps to carry the pollen far distances. The most associated foods are melons including honeydew and cantaloupe
FALL - WEED (MUGWORT AND RAGWEED)
Mugwort pollen generally travels less than a mile and the highest concentration of the pollen is generally found between 9am and 11am.
Ragweed may produce about a billion grains of pollen per season and can travel distances of 300 to 400 miles.
TRY TO AVOID:
Mugwort and ragweed allergy symptoms most occur in the morning and the latter can travel distances of up to 400 miles. Foods with similar proteins include bananas and zucchinis
'[OAS] may affect up to five percent of the population, and is clearly more prevalent among those with seasonal pollen allergies, specifically those who have an allergic sensitivity to tree, weed and/or grass pollen,' Dr Clifford Bassett, an assistant clinical professor of medicine at NYU School of Medicine told Reader's Digest.
Dr Bassett says one way to help your symptoms is to eliminate or greatly reduce artificial additives, artificial sweeteners and pesticides.
These cause bronchial spasms and histamine reactions of the eyes, ears, nose, throat and skin.
Another treatment is to boost your immune system. The weaker your immunity, the more likely your body will experience a cross reaction.
Lastly, if you still want to enjoy these foods, bake or cook them to break down the protein and eliminate the cross reaction - or peel them because the protein is often concentrated in the skin.
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