Allergy to honey

Allergy to honey is a type of food allergy. An allergic reaction occurs on the pollen present in the pure product.

There are factors that provoke allergies (the cause) and factors that resolve allergic reactions (which are the cause of occurrence). Such permissive factors include honey, which helps to purify from the slag at the cellular level, alkalizing the internal environment, causing liquefaction and waste release into the intercellular fluid, lymphatic and blood systems. On such contamination, the body reacts immediately with an excessive immune response to the formation of a large number of antibodies (cells) and humoral (soluble blood proteins).

Can honey cause allergies?

Is there any intolerance to honey? And in this matter it is necessary to understand. Fortunately, reactions to bee products are not as common, as for example, on strawberries, citrus fruits. Honey does not belong to essentials and many easily manage without it.

The joint creation of industrious bees and plants ceases to be an allergen after processing the pollen with bee enzymes. Honey-pollen and pergardum do not exert a pathogenic effect.

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Causes of honey allergy

Allergic reactions, first of all, lie in the falsification of honey. Unscrupulous beekeepers add honey to cane sugar, which is an allergen. The product can get medical substances after processing bee colonies. If hygienic norms are violated, chitinous mite shells or any other biological, mechanical impurities are found in honey.

The causes of allergy to honey, according to doctors, can have a purely genetic predisposition or be the result of uncontrolled consumption of sweet delicacy (daily norm is not more than 200 gr).

It is believed that honey - a valuable remedy for allergies. It is enough to chew honey combs and the signs of "hay fever", the conditions of the common cold and sinusitis evaporate. To nursing children honey helps to get rid of peeling and redness on the cheeks, seborrheic scales on the head, itching and dry skin. Of course, before applying honey, you should make a sensitivity test.

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Symptoms of an allergy to honey

In each case, the symptoms of honey allergy manifest themselves in different ways. Someone reacts first to the skin, the other - the mucous membrane, the third marks the loss of hearing, etc.

Symptomatology is usually divided into mild, moderate and strong. The weak allergic reactions include: •

• the appearance of a rash; 
• lacrimation and ocular itching; 
• hyperemia.

Moderate response to an allergen includes difficulty breathing, itching.

Acute allergic reaction or anaphylaxis can cause conditions that threaten human life. Primary symptoms can manifest themselves with itchy eyes or facial skin, and after a while there are: 

• Puffiness, making breathing difficult or swallowing; 
• abdominal pain; 
• nausea, colic or vomiting; 
• dizziness, blurred vision.

How is honey allergic?

Manifestations of allergy to honey depend on the part of the body that is affected, and on the strength of the ongoing reaction. The allergy reveals itself: 

• skin reaction - redness, unceasing desire to scratch, swelling, the appearance of blisters, various rashes; 
• pulmonary response - shortness of breath, severe cough, pain in the lungs; 
• reaction from the face - swelling of the eyelids, cheeks, tongue, throat area, headaches; 
• the reaction of the nose - the allocation of various etiologies;
• reaction of the eyes - redness, irritation, swelling, copious lacrimation; 
• gastric reaction - soreness of the gastrointestinal tract, nausea, diarrhea, vomiting.

How is honey allergy manifested in extremely severe cases? Symptoms of anaphylaxis occur instantaneously, so it is recommended that when the first suspicions occur, they call for medical attention. Anaphylactic shock occurs due to the expansion of numerous blood vessels. It is characterized by a decrease in pressure, which can lead to loss of consciousness, cardiac arrest and death.

Signs of an allergy to honey

Signs such as: pallor, redness, severe sweating or lack of fluid, a state of confusion and anxiety, difficulty breathing or stopping it, indicate an allergy to honey.

Signs of allergy to honey appear immediately, therefore, before using beekeeping products, doctors recommend simple tests: •

Put a small amount of honey under the tongue. If there are unpleasant sensations (perspiration, swelling of the mucous membrane), rinse your mouth with water; •

Place a small amount of the product in the inner fold of the hand. After a while, assess the skin condition. If there are any manifestations, then honey should not be consumed.

Allergic to honey on the face

The most unpleasant thing is when an allergy to honey manifests itself on the face. Sudden redness, rash, swelling, or unbearable itching. Get rid of these symptoms will help cleaning procedures with kefir, sour milk or sour cream, diluted with water. Wipe the face several times with a cotton disc moistened in one of the means. The next step is a compress from a weak solution of boric acid (half a teaspoon to a glass of water).

The allergy to honey on the face goes through the use of decoction of herbs - sage, chamomile, turns in the form of compresses. Infusion should be not very strong. If the medicinal herbs were not at hand, use not very strong tea. The dressing should be changed every 15-20 minutes. The affected skin should be towel dried. On dry skin, you can use rice or potato starch, as a powder.

The use of special anti-allergic creams is possible after consultation with a doctor. For the skin, predisposed to allergic manifestations, a natural cream of chamomile is shown, which can reduce inflammation of the skin.

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Allergy to honey in a child

The organism of the child is most susceptible to the influence of allergens, which is due to the weakness and inadequacy of reactions by the immune system.

There are more than 200 varieties of honey. It is unambiguous to say an allergy to what kind of honey your child is having. One product of beekeeping can cause a sensitivity reaction, and another will be absolutely harmless. Clear the picture will help only holding an allergic test.

The allergy to honey in a child is manifested by skin reactions of the face, neck, hands and feet. In order to improve the quality of mother's milk, women ate a spoonful of honey half an hour before feeding. Many mixtures for food of European producers contain a small amount of honey. However, most mothers begin to inject honey into the baby's diet drop by drop only from the age of one, and sometimes not earlier than seven years.

It should be remembered that honey is an indispensable product for a child. It's good to give it overnight with warm milk. Dissolve honey in hot milk or tea can not, as a result of the valuable properties will only glucose and sugar. Of course, to give honey is not necessary, if there is an allergy to this product in the child.

But here to sin on honey, when the kid eats chocolate and other sweets, drinks soda, drags mandarins - this is already superfluous.

Treatment of allergies to honey

Like any food intolerance, an allergy to honey is treated with the use of antihistamines and external means to relieve symptoms on the skin.

Treatment of allergies to honey is often reduced to excluding the product from the diet. Antihistamines block the action of the allergen, among the side effects of drugs in this group, they give off drowsiness. These substances are divided into: 

• dispensed without prescription (Benadryl, Cirtek); 
• only under the prescription of the doctor (Allegra, Clarinex).

Along with antihistamines, anti-edema drugs are used: Cyrotec-D, Neosinephrine (available without prescription) and Claritin-D (prescription). Antidiarrheals can increase blood pressure, so they are contraindicated in patients with hypertension and glaucoma. Among the side effects are insomnia, excessive irritability and problems with urination.

In some cases, doctors prescribe a combination of medications. So treatment of allergies can consist in the simultaneous administration of antihistamines, cures for asthma and stabilizers of mast cells.

How is an allergy to honey prevented?

Prevention of allergy to honey lies in the observance of the timing of the introduction of the product into the diet during lactation, in the exclusion of it with previously revealed signs of allergic reactions.

It is important to inquire about the composition of the dishes while visiting restaurants or cafes. Do not be shy - because for you the presence of honey can turn into an unpleasant consequence. Naturally from the use of eastern delicacies (baklava, etc.) will have to be abandoned.

Watch for the composition of cosmetics, which may include beekeeping products. The correct mode of the day, the distribution of physical activity, the absence of nervous breakdowns and just a good disposition of the mind is also a prevention of allergic conditions.

Honey very often acts on the body, as a natural absorbent. Activation of purification processes can manifest itself in the form of rash, inflammation of the skin. Do not rush to sound the alarm. This means that the body gets rid of toxins, toxins. An allergy to honey exists, but it is not widely spread.