Do you get itchy in your mouth after eating a certain vegetable or fruit? It's probably not a coincidence, but a mild food allergy.
A food allergy is often unavoidable. In some cases, it can even end badly for the person who is allergic. But there is also a milder form of food allergy to which your body reacts less clearly:the Oral Allergy Syndrome (OAS).
'Oral Allergy Syndrome'
The symptoms of OAS are usually limited to itching, redness or a slight swelling in and around the mouth or throat. The reaction often occurs a few minutes after eating. Often the response goes away within a few seconds or minutes, but it can also take an hour.
Did you know that…
When vegetables and fruit are heated, there is often no or less strong reaction. This is because the proteins in fruits and vegetables that are responsible for OAS are broken down during heating.
OAS and hay fever OAS is a cross-allergic reaction, which often occurs in combination with hay fever. Are you allergic to birch pollen? Then you are more likely to react to kiwis, apples, pears, peaches, nectarines and cherries. People who are allergic to grasses are more likely to have a reaction to (water) melons, tomatoes or oranges. For example, there are even more types of fruit and vegetables associated with certain pollen. If you eat vegetables or fruit from that category, the chance of OAS is greater.
OAS occurs all year round, but your body can react extra during the hay fever season. You can't imagine it, so your mouth can really itch after eating certain ingredients.
