Orange allergy

An orange allergy is a type of food allergy. This means that an allergic reaction occurs when you eat a certain food. In the old days, only a few people suffered from food allergies, including orange allergies. Nowadays, this disease becomes known to children almost from the cradle.

So, let's look at the causes and mechanism of orange allergy, as well as its symptoms, treatment methods and prevention.

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Causes of Orange Allergy

An allergy to oranges, like an allergy to other types of food, occurs due to an inadequate reaction of the body to substances contained in these products. Of course, oranges themselves do not pose any threat to our health. But here's the problem - our immune system begins to perceive such products as allergens - that is, as hostile agents that must be prevented and eliminated from the body.

Therefore, an allergy to oranges is an autoimmune reaction. What does this mean? It means that the immune system mistakenly perceives substances entering the body as a danger and begins to defend itself. For this defense, our bodies secrete special substances called histamines.

These histamines come in several types, so when you are allergic to oranges, histamines of type E are mainly released. They trigger the allergic, that is, protective reaction of the body. That is why allergy medications are called antihistamines.

Scientists suggest several main reasons for the development of allergies. One of them is environmental pollution and a sharp decrease in the naturalness and quality of food consumed. The body easily becomes clogged and, so to speak, ceases to understand where the real danger is and where it is imaginary.

According to another opinion, an 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 eating mainly locally produced products to which our bodies are accustomed. Such products are much less likely to cause food allergies.

There is another opinion in scientific circles. Some scientists believe that cases of allergies have become more frequent because people have begun to live in a sterile environment. Our bodies are designed 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 be in "combat readiness".

But these days, when everyone has personal hygiene products, antibacterial soap, the ability to wash hands, food and thoroughly process food, the immune system does not have much work to do. It faces a dilemma: either stop "training" and as a result weaken the body's defenses, or start training on your own body, that is, trigger an autoimmune reaction. And this is an allergy. At the same time, scientists conducted research. They examined the population of a 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 100% infected with helminths, but only two percent of the population was found to have an allergy to anything.

In "civilized" people, helminthiasis was found in only 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 with itself, just to prevent the weakening of the immune system.

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Symptoms of Orange Allergy

Although orange allergies rarely cause serious health consequences and are rarely life-threatening, they can cause a number of rather unpleasant symptoms.

As is known, oranges have a rather pungent smell and release essential oils into the air. In a person with an orange allergy, even this smell itself can cause a reaction such as a stuffy nose, watery eyes, or sneezing fits. All this can be accompanied by redness of the eyes and itching in the nose and eyes.

Another typical manifestation of an orange allergy is reddening of the skin and itching. Blisters may appear on the skin or even dropsy. The redness may look like hives and cover large areas of skin. Typically, such a rash appears on the cheeks, stomach or neck.

In addition to the reactions described above, an allergy to oranges can manifest itself in the form of a digestive disorder. It can cause vomiting or nausea, stomach upset, and simply unpleasant sensations in the stomach area. Any allergy can lead to swelling of the mucous membranes, including the mucous membrane of the stomach or oral cavity. The lips and mucous membrane in the mouth can swell, a burning sensation in the mouth and other symptoms can be felt.

How does an orange allergy manifest itself?

It is interesting that orange allergy, like other types of food allergy, largely depends on a person’s psychological state. That is, allergy is one of the psychosomatic diseases.

So, there are cases when a person eats oranges or other food allergens without knowing it. They can be present in cocktails or in dishes with a complex taste, where a person does not recognize the presence of "his allergen" by taste. And, often, in these cases, an allergic reaction does not develop. But as soon as you tell a person that he is allergic to oranges, he begins to experience some typical symptoms.

Of course, the most typical manifestation of an orange allergy is reddening of the skin, hives or other types of skin rashes. One of the manifestations of an allergy to citrus fruits is allergic rhinitis, that is, a runny nose of allergic origin. The mucous membranes of the eyes can also be irritated, which causes tears, itching and burning in the eyes. In the section "symptoms of an allergy to oranges" you can learn about other manifestations of an allergy to citrus fruits.

Diagnosis of orange allergy

There are several methods for diagnosing orange allergy. Of course, this diagnosis can be made by examining the pronounced symptoms of a patient who has eaten oranges. But sometimes, if the patient has not eaten oranges, but has consumed drinks or dishes containing several ingredients, including oranges, then identifying the allergen can be problematic.

In such cases, a blood test is performed to help identify an allergy to oranges. This test identifies antibodies to the allergen in the patient's blood, which allows you to accurately determine what caused the allergy.

Usually, in case of food allergy and orange allergy, IgE antibodies are found in the blood serum. They indicate the cause of the allergy and the symptoms it causes.

Skin tests are another way to diagnose orange allergies. To perform this test, the skin is slightly damaged by making cuts on it. Then, an allergen is applied to the damaged areas of the skin and the reaction is observed. This test helps to accurately identify the allergen, but it can only be performed when a person does not have a pronounced allergic reaction.

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Treatment for orange allergy

The main way to treat an allergy to oranges can only be the complete exclusion of the allergen from the allergy sufferer's diet. It should be remembered that the allergy works incrementally. That is, each subsequent allergic reaction to a food product can lead to more serious consequences than the previous one. It can be expressed by stronger symptoms.

That is why it is so important to determine exactly what is causing the allergy and eliminate all allergens from your diet. In case of orange allergy, you should avoid products such as juices, jams, confectionery, cocktails and other dishes or drinks with oranges. After all, even a small amount of the allergen can trigger a reaction.

In addition, treatment may include the use of antihistamines. These drugs help to get rid of unpleasant allergy symptoms, so this treatment is called symptomatic. There are many new allergy drugs available today.

Previously, to relieve symptoms, it was necessary to take several tablets of Tavegil or Diazolin per day. Today, there are antihistamines such as Alleron, which relieve an attack with a single dose of the medication per day.

But it is important to remember that such drugs have side effects. Most of these drugs cause drowsiness and lethargy, so they should not be taken before driving. In addition, they can cause weakness, tremors, and in some cases, loss of consciousness. Therefore, it is better to base the choice of drug and dosage on the recommendations of the attending physician or allergist.

In addition to traditional medicine, there are also alternative ways to treat orange allergies. For example, you can find homeopathic remedies for allergies or seek help from a homeopathic doctor. One of the principles of homeopathy is to treat like with like. This means that under the supervision of a doctor, micro doses of the allergen are administered to the patient. In this way, the body gradually gets used to this substance and eventually stops perceiving it as an allergen.

Prevention of orange allergy

Basically, prevention of orange allergy comes down to avoiding contact with the allergen. Therefore, if you know for sure that you suffer from this type of food allergy, the best prevention is to exclude not only oranges, but also all dishes and drinks containing citrus fruits from your diet.

At the same time, you should also pay attention to your health, because if your allergy to oranges is not hereditary, but acquired, then it is largely due to the general condition of your body. Therefore, as a preventive measure, you should monitor your diet, avoid overeating and eating fast food, carbonated drinks, excessive amounts of alcohol, and so on.

In addition, as already mentioned, allergies are a psychosomatic disease. Therefore, it is worth avoiding unnecessary stress and monitoring your mental state, especially if the allergy manifests itself in skin rashes. The skin is our largest organ and it reflects the general condition of the entire body like a mirror.