It is called
oral allergy syndrome and there is an obvious culprit that starts to bloom in
mid-August. It’s every year, and even though we’re far away from it in
December, it happens again and again. It’s called ragweed. There are 36 million
people who suffer from ragweed allergy, but a significant percentage of these
sufferers also have what used to be called pollen food syndrome. It’s now known
as oral allergies syndrome. It’s due to a cross reactivity between ragweed and
similar proteins that are found in various fresh fruits and vegetables. The
classic symptoms include itchiness, tingling, or swelling of the mouth. It can
also affect the tongue and the throat. One of the keys is that it happens
immediately after eating fresh fruit, vegetables and other foods. Some of the
common foods interacting with ragweed are banana, cucumber, zucchini, and melon.
