With food allergies increasing considerably in recent decades, it’s more important than ever to know how you or a loved one with a food allergy can maintain a healthy mouth. That’s because food allergies can not only be dangerous, but they can also have consequences for your oral health.
Just a few foods cause most allergies.
A food allergy is an unusual response by your immune system to a certain food. While some allergic reactions can be mild, others can be life-threatening.
More than 170 foods have been reported to cause allergic reactions. However, just a handful of foods account for most allergies, including fish, shellfish, peanuts, eggs, and cow’s milk.
People who are allergic to birch, ragweed, or grass pollens can develop a cross-reaction to certain foods that usually triggers more mild and shorter responses, such as an itching sensation in the mouth. This condition is called oral allergy syndrome (OAS) or pollen-food allergy syndrome. OAS may be activated in pollen-allergic people by eating some nuts, spices, and tooth-friendly raw fruits and vegetables. That’s because the proteins in these foods are similar to the allergy-causing proteins in pollen. Click to learn more.