Oral allergy syndrome (Oas) is a well-recognized but minute known condition. It is characterized by a burning sensation or mouth pain and swelling when you eat exact foods that cross react to pollens to which you are allergic. Interestingly, the exact foods causing this reaction are well established to cross react with safe bet trees, grass, or weed pollens, house dust mite or latex. There are coarse groups of foods that cluster with safe bet nasal allergies. For example, ragweed allergy generally causes an oral or gut reaction after eating melons or bananas but ordinarily not other foods. Birch tree pollen is generally linked with reactions to numerous foods as is latex allergy. The explanation for these reactions include similarities in protein structures as well as some chemicals in the foods.
Though this reaction is well documented in the allergy literature it is not generally recognized or diagnosed by most doctors together with some allergy specialists and many stomach specialists. Assorted allergy web sites include lists of the coarse foods linked with safe bet pollens, dust mite or latex. However, a whole list that is easy to read or expound can be difficult to find. Also, the names of some pollens or the coarse links in the middle of a group of pollens and a group of foods can be confusing.
Sensitive Stomachs
In its first-rate form Oas should be easy to recognize. After eating a food linked with a pollen to which you are allergic you palpate near immediate burning sensation in your mouth or throat with or without swelling. However, it is generally recognized that oftentimes in medicine, symptoms do not occur in the "classic" or typical manner in a exact person. Worded an additional one way doctors are taught "patients don't read the textbooks". Therefore, you may palpate variations of the reaction such as throat swelling or tightening, burning when swallowing, a lump in the throat or a sense of swallowing mystery but not make the association to what you ate or what is happening to you.
You or your doctor may misinterpret your symptoms. oftentimes population just assume it happened because they were having a choking spell on food that was poorly chewed, swallowed too fast, or eaten or drank while too hot or cold. Commonly, it is assumed that an esophageal (swallowing tube) disorder, especially acid reflux with a hiatal hernia is the cause. Acid reflux can cause an esophageal constriction called a stricture or ring that can ensue in a food sticking sensation, but this is ordinarily linked with heartburn symptoms or food getting stuck which then prompts an upper endoscopy or scope exam. Other times, especially if occurring in an elderly person, a neurological health like stroke or Parkinson's disease is blamed. Sometimes doctors rule that your symptoms are due to a nervous reaction or neurosis that historically was called as globus hystericus. The hystericus quantum of the term is ordinarily dropped these days to the shorter term globus or globus sensation especially since it is not proven it is due to a psychiatric problem. However, globus may be the analysis arrived at if your complaint is that you feel a lump in your throat and an 'evaluation" appears to turn up nothing even if Oas was not carefully or excluded.
An unusual health that has been more recently recognized in the field of gastroenterology (diseases of the stomach and intestines) that may be linked to or a variant of Oas is called eosinophilic esophagitis (Ee) or allergic esophagitis. It was first described in the pediatric population but is now known to occur in adults. Classically described in juvenile boys and young men who presented with food sticking episodes without heartburn or acid reflux symptoms, it is linked with a strange appearance of the esophagus on endoscopy (lighted scope exam of the upper gastrointestinal tract). What the doctor doing the scope sees is that the esophagus resembles a cat's esophagus. That is it looks like it has rings (cats have cartilage rings in their esophagus, we do not) and this is referred to as "ringed esophagus" or felinization of the esophagus. On biopsy of such a ringed or felinized appearing esophagus (that is also often narrowed resulting in food sticking) minute signs of allergy are noted. The lining shows numerous eosinophils, a reddish pink appearing white blood cell, characteristic of allergic conditions. These eosinophils publish chemicals like histamine that trigger swelling, pain, and damage to tissue.
Food allergies are generally found to present in Ee though sometimes the quest for a food allergy by original skin tests or IgE blood tests is negative. Treatment is avoidance of known food allergens and swallowed nasal steroids sprays that are designed for use in the nose for nasal allergies. Though not specifically proven yet, eosinophilic esophagitis (Ee) may be a variant of Oas.
Eosinophilic gastroenteritis and eosinophilic or allergic colitis also exist and can be diagnosed by biopsies of the stomach, small intestine and colon respectively. Allergic colitis is typically seen in infants who have a cow's milk protein allergy. It presents as colic type abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss and bloody diarrhea in an infant on cow's milk formula or sometimes in breast-fed infants whose mom is drinking a lot of cow's milk.
Allergic gastroenteritis occurs in any age group presenting typically as abdominal pain, with or without intestinal blockage or perforation; diarrhea; anemia; weight loss; and minute bleeding in the intestinal tract also known as occult blood in the stool. Such bleeding is detectable only by extra stool chemical tests known as fecal occult blood tests (Fobt) or stool guaiac testing.
At least some population with food intolerance that does not make sense on minute diet diary information, blood tests, biopsies, or allergy testing, may have a form of Oas. In other words, the proximity of known pollen or latex allergies may be predisposing to reactions to foods known to cross react with allergies noted in Oas. However, instead of first-rate oral allergy syndrome symptoms other stomach and intestinal symptoms or even non-gastrointestinal symptoms may result.
Support of this view can be found in detailed screening of individuals for food intolerance. Those with known pollen or latex allergies, any known food allergies or intolerance together with gluten intolerance (celiac disease) and casein intolerance, are asked to complete a series of indication of illness assessments and severity rating scales followed by a exact elimination diet. This is followed up by re-assessment of response of symptoms while re-introducing foods one at a time while monitoring for recurrence.
This type of analysis is the basis for the Neopaleo exact Diet. In the near time to come online indication of illness assessments and screening for food intolerance along with dietary recommendations exact to individuals will be available at www.thefooddoc.com. An online diet indication of illness diary will also be available. A simplified table illustrating the coarse foods that may cross-react with the broad categories of pollen allergens and latex allergy is available. Food intolerances are more generally being recognized as a coarse cause of illness and symptoms. Individualized exact diet recommendations and elimination diet trials may be more helpful in discovering any possible links to what you are eating and how you feel.
Copyright 2006 The Food Doc, Llc. All rights reserved.
Pollen Allergy and Food Sensitivity: The Oral Allergy Syndrome and Food Intolerance Sensitive Stomachs
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