Oral Allergy Syndrome

Oral allergy syndrome (OAS), also known as pollen food syndrome, is a form of contact allergy that occurs with contact of the mouth and throat to raw fruits and vegetables. OAS is generally considered a mild form of food allergy.

Oral allergy syndrome is caused by cross-reacting allergens found in both pollen and raw fruits, vegetables, and some tree nuts. The immune system recognizes the pollen and similar proteins in the food and produces an allergic response.

Although not everyone with a pollen allergy experiences oral allergy syndrome when eating the following foods, there are common associations between the following allergens:

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Symptoms of Oral Allergy Syndrome

Symptoms of OAS include itchiness or swelling of the mouth, face, lip, tongue and throat.

Symptoms usually appear immediately after eating raw fruits or vegetables, although in rare cases, the reaction can occur more than an hour later.

The symptoms are usually localized to the mouth and rarely progress to other systems.

Recommendations

  1. Heat cross reactive foods prior to consumption.

  2. Peel foods prior to consumption.

  3. Wear gloves when peeling fruits.

  4. Managing seasonal allergy symptoms with recommended treatment is key to coping with oral allergy syndrome.