Oral Allergy Syndrome

Aka: Oral Allergy Syndrome, Pollen-Food Allergy Syndrome

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II. Epidemiology

  1. Most common Food Allergy

III. Risk Factors

  1. Allergic Rhinitis or Asthma patients with grass, weed or tree pollen triggers (10%)
  2. Birch pollen allergy (highly associated)

IV. Causes

  1. Birch pollen allergy
    1. Carrot
    2. Celery
    3. Hazelnuts
    4. Parsnips
    5. Potatoes
    6. Fresh fruit (apples, cherries, peaches, pears...)
  2. Grass pollen
    1. Kiwi
    2. Tomato
  3. Ragweed pollen
    1. Bananas
    2. Melons

V. Symptoms

  1. Limited to oral exposure to trigger foods (see above)
    1. Immediate onset when trigger food contacts mouth
    2. Resolves when food is removed from mouth or swallowed
  2. Local oral reaction
    1. Lip, Tongue, and Palate swelling and Pruritus

VI. Prevention

  1. Avoid trigger foods based on the associated Airborne Allergen
  2. Cook the offending food first to denature the causative Proteins

VII. References

  1. Ma (2003) J Allergy Clin Immunol 112(4): 781-8 [PubMed]
  2. Ghunaim (2005) Allergy 60(2): 185-91 [PubMed]

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