Although all fruits and vegetables are not responsible for causing allergy symptoms but here we are discussing about plum allergy. Therefore if you believe that you are allergic to any fruit and vegetable then this article will help you to understand can you be allergic to plums. Plum allergy in Adults and babies and at the end we will discuss how to treat plum allergies to reduce Plum allergy symptoms.
As you all know that plum fruit is a stone fruit belonging to the genus Prunus. I should tell you that trees of plum are being grown in every continent except Antarctica. Moreover, plum fruits are considered to be one of the first fruit that is domesticated by humans.
There are many benefits of plum fruit and some of the side effects also. If you’ve got a birch pollen allergy then you might suffer from plum allergy. Because the protein present in plum is similar to the protein present in birch pollen. This type of allergy is named as birch fruit syndrome.
However, allergies occur in different forms. Some of them may interfere with daily life activities or affect the quality of life. Moreover, the substance that is causing allergy is called as allergen. According to the studies, food allergies are estimated to affect 4% of adults. Besides that, there are different types of foods that are causing food allergies and uncomfortable feeling. Anything that is ingested can have several types of allergens present in it causing symptoms.
Plum Allergy Symptoms Adults:
One in five people are suffering from food allergies in United States of America. A person is usually exposed to an allergen by swallowing it, inhaling it or getting it on their skin. After the exposure, the body starts producing the antibody, IgE, to which an allergen binds. As a result, all allergen bind to antibody and antibody is attached to mast cells; as a result, mast cells will release a variety of chemicals like histamine.
Therefore, pollen food allergy is also related to plum allergy adults because it occurs in people who are already allergic to pollen or suffering from hay fever. Although the plum allergy adult symptoms may be mild but more severe types of reactions also occur if large quantities of allergenic food are consumed rapidly. However, many of the food allergies may cause variety of Plum allergy symptoms like:
- Stomach cramps
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
Moreover these plum allergy adult symptoms usually appear after 15minutes of eating raw plum fruits. If you are allergic to plums than there are more chances to develop certain allergies from other fruits too. Moreover, allergies also include the oral allergy syndrome. It is a type of allergic response occurs as a result of cluster of allergic reactions in mouth by eating certain raw fruits, nuts and vegetables. Perhaps, it is the most common food allergy among adults. This syndrome includes:
- Itching of the throat
- Swelling of the mouth
- Inflammation of lips
- Tingling of tongue
However, most of the people with pollen allergy will experience severe type of reactions called anaphylaxis. It is a severe life-threatening allergic reaction in adults. Therefore, anaphylaxis symptoms include wheezing; restrict breathing, nettle rash of the skin, abdominal pain and nausea.
Plum Allergy Baby:
Parents are mostly concerned with the diet of their babies. Always parents ask a question can I give plums to my baby. Plums or prunes may be responsible for rare allergies. These types of fruits are recommended to be introduced to your baby at the age of 4 to 6 months. In most of the cases, though the plum allergy baby may cause allergies in baby and symptoms of eczema, and gastrointestinal problems like vomiting and diarrhea.
However, many of the parents don’t realize that symptoms like itching, sneezing and runny nose may be a signal of an allergy but they consider them short term reactions. When a baby is having an allergic reaction, his body produces an inappropriate response by his immune system. Therefore, the immune system will fight against the harmful substance present in plum fruit. Tendency to get plum allergy baby is often hereditary. Have you ever noticed problems of eating, sleeping and breathing in your babies?
All these uncomfortable feelings are due to the use of plum causing allergy. If you want to sooth your baby from plum allergy baby then try to make change in his environment as well as in his diet. Some of the usual treatments include hydrocortisone cream for eczema and skin rashes. If the child is 6 months old then try to give antihistamine Zyrtec.
Another way to treat plum allergy symptoms in babies is to avoid his exposure to whatever is causing allergy for at least 6 months. Parents should keep a careful diary of what food and what symptoms are affecting their babies.
Plum Allergy Treatment:
If you notice Plum allergy symptoms in yourself or your baby then you should be aware about how to control or treat plum allergies. Most of the people are suffering from different and more severe type of allergies to plum then oral allergy syndrome and birch pollen allergy. Handling a raw plum or peeling it may cause rash, inflammation and swelling of the hands. The disease called contact dermatitis.
People allergic to Plums immediately go to your doctor and discuss the symptoms with him. He might guide you to take a food diary with you or an elimination diet for some months to get rid of the allergic reactions.
Your doctor might do a skin prick test in which he will put small pieces of plum onto your skin and notices an allergic reaction. If you’re allergic reactions are mild then take antihistamines and if these are severe then take an auto injector with epinephrine to treat plum allergy.
Sometimes itchy ears and scratchy throat also occurs as a result of plum allergy symptoms. Try to avoid allergenic food from your diet for few months. This will provide you soothing effects and treat your plum allergy.
I hope this article will help you about your concerns of food, diet and Plum allergy symptoms. Try to follow the instructions that are being provided in my article to get rid of plum allergies and enjoy a happy life.