There are all kinds of allergies a person can have, from outdoor allergies to weeds, trees, and grass, to indoor ones like mold and dust. While these can certainly be frustrating to deal with, and leave you with the typical itchy watery eyes, runny nose, an itchy throat, and sneezing, many people take the stance of either trying to avoid those triggers, or limiting their exposure to them. So, what if you found out that even with those steps you still weren’t doing enough? In fact, there are certain foods that when consumed can make your allergies worse.
According to doctors, your body has the same reaction to certain proteins found in particular foods as it does to pollen. This then triggers your body to have an allergic response, which includes the allergy symptoms you start to feel. This is known as oral allergy syndrome and can happen to any person at any age, and it can be totally out of the blue. That means a food that never bothered you before can suddenly start to bother you.
So, what are the foods that are known to cause this type of allergic response? There are a few offenders that we’ll take a look at, and these are known as histamine-rich foods. They are the ones that can lead to hives, headaches, a runny nose, and even anxiety.
Peaches
For many people, biting into a sweet ripe peach is a true sign of summer. Peaches are fabulous for snacking, slicing up for a fruit bowl, making excellent jams and jellies, and even go great in pie. Unfortunately, eating raw peaches can cause that dreaded histamine overload, thereby triggering your allergy symptoms. But here’s the catch, if you peel and then cook the peaches, it won’t have that same strong effect on you.
Celery
Celery is one of those foods no-one really thinks of in terms of causing any sort of health issue, but unfortunately it is known to be high in histamines, so it’s best to avoid it all together.
Tomatoes
If you’re the type who enjoys slicing up tomatoes for fresh salads, sandwiches, and just snacking on their own, you may want to think about replacing them with something else. This can be particularly hard for people with an allergy to grass.
Melons
Here’s another relatively safe appearing food. Melons are known for their smooth, sweet, and mellow flavor and are another summer staple for many. If you have a grass or ragweed allergy, melons such as honeydew, watermelon, and cantaloupe are known to trigger a much more aggressive response. Experts recommend you even go so far as to get tested for an allergy to melon, as it’s so common for those with the ragweed and grass allergy.
Spicy Foods
Spicy foods in general can be tough for people to handle. Even if they aren’t causing an allergic reaction, they can certainly leave your tummy feeling unsettled. It’s common to get a runny nose when you are eating spicy foods, but unfortunately they can also cause acid reflux and heartburn. This can trigger a response in your throat, nose, and ears.
It Doesn’t End There
The list doesn’t end there unfortunately, as there are many other histamine-rich foods out there. Vitamonk has a helpful list of what to avoid when it comes to histamine-rich foods, as well as a list of foods you may want to include in your diet since they are low in histamines.
Following a low histamine diet and avoiding the foods mentioned above can start to give you the kind of relief from your symptoms that you’ve been searching for.