pollen food syndrome

How many of you have complained that you feel your lips or mouth tingling after eating some fruits or vegetables?⁣

🤧If you also suffer from Hayfever, we are talking about Oral Allergy Syndrome, also known as Pollen Food Syndrome.⁣



⁣⚠️𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧?⁣
This is an allergic reaction, with swelling and itchiness, affecting the mouth, 👄lips, 👅tongue, and throat only.⁣

⁣🔶️Usually, the symptoms are seen within a few minutes of eating certain fruits and vegetables, mainly when they are raw.⁣

It is not common to cause swelling of the throat.⁣
Even less common to cause anaphylaxis.⁣

⚠️𝗪𝐡𝐲 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐧?⁣
Some proteins in foods are similar to some of the proteins found in certain pollens, so a cross-reaction might occur. That is also why it is called Pollen Food Syndrome.⁣

⚠️𝗪𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐲𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭?⁣
🧒For a child to suffer from hayfever, they usually need to be exposed to 2 pollen seasons.⁣

For Oral Allergy Syndrome to develop, they need to be exposed to the food causing the reaction, many times.⁣

This means it is not common to find it in toddlers.⁣

⚠️𝐒𝐨 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬:⁣
✅Adults⁣
✅Teenagers⁣
✅Older children⁣

This type of symptoms are not associated only with the pollen season, this as we can find those foods available throughout the year.⁣

Saying this, symptoms usually are higher when the pollen count is also higher.⁣

⚠️𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐟𝐨𝐫, 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧?⁣
🔷️𝘛𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘴⁣
➡️Birch⁣
➡️Alder⁣
➡️Japanese cedar⁣
➡️Plane⁣

🔷️𝘎𝘳𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘴 (𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘥𝘰𝘶𝘣𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭)⁣
➡️Timothy⁣
➡️Orchardgrass⁣

🔷️𝘞𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴⁣
➡️Wormwood⁣
➡️Ragweed (association still unclear)⁣
➡️Mugwort⁣
➡️Parietaria species (a member of the Urticaceae family - nettles among others)⁣

⚠️𝗪𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐰𝐞 𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭?⁣
We usually suggest that parents or patients cook the fruits or vegetables that might be causing the symptoms.⁣

➡️This is because the protein involved in this reaction is not stable to high heat, thus changing its form leading to the absence of reactions in most patients.

⚠️Caution as in the case of roasted hazelnuts and cooked celeriac, in some cases, minute amounts of the protein might still cause symptoms in highly sensitized patients.⁣

✅There is also the possibility that immunotherapy directed at the pollen involved in the cross-reaction, might lead to a decrease of symptoms.⁣

🔶️After having a diagnosis made (and this is one of the reasons component diagnostics are needed), a dietitian's cooperation is required, so appropriate follow-up and plan to introduce other foods that are closely related to the one initially the patient reacted to.

If your child has a reaction, the best course of action is:
- give antihistamines
- call 999 if worried
- avoid food(s) thought to be causing symptoms
- ask GP to refer to a Consultant Paediatric Allergist

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