Allergy to oranges
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
All iLive content is medically reviewed or fact checked to ensure as much factual accuracy as possible.
We have strict sourcing guidelines and only link to reputable media sites, academic research institutions and, whenever possible, medically peer reviewed studies. Note that the numbers in parentheses ([1], [2], etc.) are clickable links to these studies.
If you feel that any of our content is inaccurate, out-of-date, or otherwise questionable, please select it and press Ctrl + Enter.
Allergy to oranges refers to the type of food allergy. This means that an allergic reaction occurs when you eat a certain product. In the old days only very few suffered from food allergies and from allergies to oranges including. In our days, this disease becomes known to children almost from the cradle.
So, let's look at the causes and mechanism of allergies to oranges, as well as its symptoms, ways of treatment and prevention.
[Causes of allergies to oranges
Allergies to oranges, like allergies to other types of food, are due to an inadequate response of the body to the substances contained in these foods. Of course, the oranges themselves do not pose any threat to our health. But the trouble is that our immune system starts to perceive such products as allergens - that is, as hostile agents, which must not be allowed and eliminated from the body.
Therefore, an allergy to oranges is an autoimmune reaction. What does it mean? This means that the immune system mistakenly perceives the substances entering the body as a danger and begins to defend itself. For this protection, our bodies emit special substances called histamines.
These histamines are of several types, and so, for allergies to oranges, histamines of type E are mainly secreted. They then trigger an allergic reaction, that is, a protective reaction of the body. Therefore, allergy medications are also called antihistamines.
Scientists suggest several main reasons for the development of allergies. One of them is pollution of the environment and a sharp decrease in the naturalness and quality of food consumed. The organism is easily slagged and, so to speak, ceases to understand where the real danger is, and where it is imaginary.
According to another opinion, the allergy to oranges may be due to the fact that this product is considered somewhat exotic. After all, oranges do not grow in our area. Many doctors, including allergists, advise to eat mainly products of local production, to which our organisms are accustomed. Such foods are much less likely to cause food allergy.
In scientific circles there is one more opinion. Some scientists believe that cases of allergy are increasing because people began to live in a sterile environment. Our bodies are designed so that they are able to fight a huge number of pathogens, that is, harmful microorganisms that are around us and inevitably enter the body. Therefore, the immune system must constantly arrive in "combat readiness".
But nowadays, when everyone has personal hygiene, a bactericidal soap, the ability to wash their hands, eat and treat food thoroughly, the immune system remains not so much work. Before it there is a dilemma: either stop "training" and as a result weaken the body's defense, or start exercising on your own body, that is, launch an autoimmune reaction. And this is the allergy. At the same time, scientists carried out research. They examined the population of the country with a high level of civilization and hygiene, as well as a semi-wild tribe. It turned out that people from the tribe were almost completely affected by helminths, but only two percent of the population had an allergy to anything.
In "civilized" people, helminthiasis was found only in five percent of the population, but more than forty percent of those examined suffered from allergies. From this, scientists concluded that with a lack of external enemies, our body begins to fight itself with itself, just to prevent the weakening of the immune system.
Symptoms of allergies to oranges
Although allergic to oranges rarely leads to serious health effects and rarely causes a threat to human life, it can manifest a number of rather unpleasant symptoms.
As you know, oranges have a rather sharp smell and emit essential oils into the air. In a person with an allergy to oranges, even this odor itself can cause a reaction such as a stuffy nose, watery eyes, or sneezing. All this can be accompanied by reddening of the eyes and itching in the nose and eyes.
Another typical manifestation of allergies to oranges is the redness of the skin and itching. On the skin, blisters may appear or even dropsy may appear. Redness can look like hives and cover large areas of the skin. Usually such a rash appears on the cheeks, on the stomach or on the neck.
In addition to the above reactions, an allergy to oranges may manifest as a digestive system disorder. It can cause vomiting or nausea, upset stomach and just unpleasant sensations in the stomach. Any allergy can lead to swelling of the mucous membranes, including the mucous membrane of the stomach or oral cavity. Swollen lips and mucous in the mouth, burning in the mouth and other symptoms can be felt.
How does the allergy affect oranges?
It is interesting that the allergy to oranges, like other types of food allergies, largely depend on the psychological mood of a person. That is, allergy is one of the psychosomatic diseases.
So, there are times when a person consumes oranges or other food allergens without knowing it himself. They can be present in cocktails or in dishes with a complex taste, where a person does not recognize the presence of "his allergen". And, often, in these cases, an allergic reaction does not develop. But it's worth telling the person that with an allergy to oranges, how he begins to experience some typical symptoms.
Of course, the most typical manifestation of allergies to oranges is redness of the skin, hives, or other types of rashes on the skin. One of the manifestations of allergy to citrus is allergic rhinitis, that is, a common allergic rhinitis. The mucous membranes of the eyes can also be irritated, which causes tears, itching and burning sensation in the eyes. In the section "Symptoms of an allergy to oranges" you can find out about other manifestations of allergies to citrus fruits.
Diagnosis of allergies to oranges
There are several methods for diagnosing allergies to oranges. Of course, this diagnosis can be made by examining the pronounced symptomatology of a patient who consumed oranges for food. But sometimes, if the patient did not eat oranges, but consumed drinks or dishes containing several ingredients and oranges including, then determining the allergen can be problematic.
In such cases, a blood test is performed to help identify allergies to oranges. This test isolates antibodies to the patient's allergen in the blood, which allows you to accurately determine what causes the allergy.
Usually, with food allergies and allergies to oranges in the serum, IgE antibodies are found. They and then indicate the cause of the allergy and the symptoms caused by it.
Skin tests are another way to diagnose allergies to oranges. To carry out this analysis, the skin is slightly damaged by making incisions on it. Then, allergens are applied to the damaged areas of the skin and they look at the reaction. Such an analysis helps to accurately determine the allergen, but it can only be carried out when a person does not have a severe allergic reaction.
Treatment of allergies to oranges
The main way to treat allergies to oranges can only be the complete elimination of the allergen from the allergic food. It should be remembered that the allergy is working on increasing. That is, every subsequent allergic reaction to food can lead to more serious consequences than the previous one. It can be expressed in stronger symptoms.
Therefore, it is so important to determine exactly what causes allergies and exclude allergens from food. In cases of allergy to oranges, foods such as juices, jams, confectionery, cocktails and other dishes or drinks with oranges should be avoided. After all, even a small amount of an allergen can trigger a reaction.
In addition, treatment may include the use of antihistamines. These drugs help to get rid of the unpleasant symptoms of allergies, so this treatment is called symptomatic. At the moment there are many new drugs for allergies.
Previously, to remove the symptoms had to take several tablets Tavegil or Diazolin per day. Today, there are such antihistamines as Allerone, which relieve the attack with a single medication intake per day.
But we must remember that these drugs have side effects. Most of these drugs cause drowsiness and lethargy, so they can not be taken before driving a car. In addition, they can cause weakness, tremor, and in some cases, loss of consciousness. Therefore, the choice of the drug and dosage is better based on the recommendations of a doctor or an allergist.
In addition to traditional medicine, there are also alternative ways to treat allergies to oranges. For example, you can find homeopathic remedies for allergies or seek help from a homeopathic doctor. One of the principles of homeopathy is that we treat like that. This means that under the supervision of the doctor, the patient is given micro-doses of the allergen. So the body gradually gets used to this substance and eventually ceases to perceive it as an allergen.
Prevention of allergies to oranges
In general, the prevention of allergies to oranges is to avoid contact with the allergen. Therefore, if you know for sure that you are suffering from this kind of food allergy, then the best prevention is to exclude not only oranges, but all dishes and citrus-containing drinks from your diet.
In this case, it is worth paying attention to your health, because if you are not hereditary, but acquired, then it is largely due to the general condition of your body. Therefore, as a preventive measure it is necessary to monitor food, avoid overeating and eating fast food, carbonated drinks, excessive amounts of alcohol, and so on.
In addition, as already mentioned, an allergy is a psychosomatic disease. Therefore, it is necessary to avoid unnecessary stress and monitor the mental state, especially if the allergy is manifested by rashes on the skin. The skin is our largest organ and it mirrors the general condition of the whole organism as a mirror.