Itches can drive one up the wall at the best of times but if it's your lips, mouth and throat that become itchy due to an allergy then you are in for a rough ride, as some of those places are ridiculously unamenable to scratching.
You may be thinking that if your mouth starts itching then you have a typical allergy but a small amount of us, 2 per cent, are afflicted by a curious condition known as pollen food syndrome (PFS), also coined oral allergy syndrome.
It rarely progresses to the severe anaphylactic allergic reaction where the face starts puffing up, skin rashes materialise, breathing reduces to a wheeze and eventually, the body shuts down. PFS is distinct as it mainly affects the lips, mouth, and throat along with some skin hives.
PFS is related to plant-based foods that have proteins similar in structure to the pollen produced by birch trees, grasses and ragweeds.
Apples, peaches, apricots, kiwis, hazelnuts, almonds, avocados, carrots, peaches, peanuts, pears, cherries, chestnuts, bananas, mangos, melons, papayas, kiwi fruits and tomatoes are just some of the angelic appearing fruit and vegetables that can set in motion the immune allergy rollercoaster.
Breathing in the different pollens primes the immune system. Later, because of the similarities between certain food proteins, when the fruit or vegetable is prepared or eaten the immune detection system is alerted and pumps out histamines causing the blood vessels to expand, the mouth and throat to swell and initiates the itching. In severe episodes, a person may feel nauseous or vomit.
People who suffer from hay fever are more likely to have to put up with PFS as well. As the hay fever wanes with the changing of the seasons, disobligingly PFS does not follow suit – it's a year-round troublemaker.
Keeping a diet diary to try and link which foods set off the tingling can be useful. Consult with your GP to determine the type of allergy. They may suggest trying an elimination diet, where you cut out all fruits and vegetables and then slowly re-introduce each, to identify the perpetrator.
Allergy testing and blood tests to check for specific antibodies are also available for a more accurate diagnosis.
