People with hay fever can get a mild reaction in their mouth, lips or throat when they eat certain foods. It’s called oral allergy syndrome (OAS). And it’s usually more bothersome than serious.
Oral allergy syndrome happens because of cross-reactivity. It isn’t a primary allergy. Rather, proteins in certain foods look a lot like those in the pollen you’re allergic to. Your immune system struggles to tell the difference and reacts to the food too. Other names for it are pollen food syndrome (PFS) and pollen-food allergy syndrome (PFAS). It can also happen to people who are only sensitized to pollen and haven’t developed an allergy.
Let’s find out more about this common condition – how to identify, diagnose and treat it. And why you might develop these symptoms.