Hello doctor, I am a 17 years old female. I had one kiwi, and it makes my mouth hurt, but it was not too bad, and I liked the flavor. I just managed it. I decided to have two kiwis yesterday, and then my mouth and tongue were tingly and itchy. My stomach was disturbed, and there was a kind of short of breath, and my heart rate increased two hours afterward. Am I allergic?
Hello. You are right the symptoms you perceived could be because of kiwi allergy. This is called oral allergy syndrome or pollen food syndrome. The raw proteins in fruit or peel of the fruit cause allergic symptoms. It may occur with certain other fruits, also like peach, apple, etc. So if you are having symptoms after eating these fruits, you should try to avoid them. Though not very severe, it can cause serious respiratory problems like difficulty in breathing, coughing and palpitations. For minor reactions, you can take tablet Levocetirizine 5 mg daily to prevent tingling and itching. For more severe reactions, you should always be carrying self-injecting adrenaline injection. For confirming oral allergy syndrome, I advise you to do a skin prick allergy test. You can also do a full blood allergy test with all panels, including environmental, food, drugs, and allergens in the test. After you are diagnosed with a particular allergy, avoidance is only the best thing that will prevent severe allergic reactions. I also advise you to take the help of the allergy doctor for further help if required. Fruit protein allergy. Skin prick allergy test or Blood allergy test. Food allergy. Avoid the allergen fruit and always carry self-injecting adrenaline if diagnosed with an allergy. Avoidance.