Strawberry Allergy: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment

Strawberries are an attractive, tasty and very healthy berry that adults and children like. It carries an abundance of useful substances and vitamins, and also has a pleasant sweet and sour taste. However, sometimes a healthy treat can lead to very undesirable consequences. Allergy is not only unpleasant, but also harmful, and in severe cases, very dangerous for human health.

In today's world, where the allergenic environment prevails, there are more and more people suffering from allergies to a variety of substances. The immune system begins to fight foreign (often harmless) proteins, producing histamines, and an allergic reaction occurs.

Although not all people are prone to overreaction, there is a certain group of people with a whole range of risk factors that increase the likelihood of developing allergies:

• hereditary predisposition;
• suffered a serious illness, when the immune system has not yet strengthened;
• during periods of hormonal changes in the body (puberty, menopause, pregnancy and breastfeeding);
• severe nervous exhaustion and stress.

Allergies that appeared in childhood may fade away by the time they grow up. However, the above reasons are not the only ones. Below we will look at what exactly an allergic reaction can occur when eating strawberries.

• The main reason is the protein that is responsible for the red color of the fruit. If the reason is precisely the color, an allergy to red foods, then instead of the usual strawberries, you can eat white or yellow varieties.
• Along with true allergies, there is pseudo-allergy, the development of which is due to overeating and excess strawberry protein in a healthy body.
• Substances that make up the berry: galacturonic acid residues, essential oils, plant polyphenols. Substances that make up leaves and flowers: plant polyphenols, glycosides.
• Unripe fruits are rich in phytoalexins: substances protect the berry, but can cause photosensitive dermatitis in humans.
• Due to the specific porous structure, plant pollen accumulates on the surface of the fruit - one of the strongest allergens.

These substances can provoke a reaction in the body.

All berries, vegetables and fruits are sprayed with special chemicals that can cause allergies. These are solutions that increase the rate of growth and maturation of the plant, shelf life and storage. Contact allergies are often caused by substances used to protect plants from pests and diseases.

Allergy to the red berry can be of several types.

• Contact. The reaction manifests itself immediately after tactile contact with the berry or the plant itself.
• Food. The most common type that occurs after direct consumption of a food product.
• Cross. The peculiarity of such an allergy is that sensitivity to strawberry protein causes susceptibility to other products with a similar protein in the composition. Accordingly, an allergy to the pollen of certain plants - grapes and its products, representatives of the pink family - can provoke an acute reaction to strawberries.

Of course, in a child, the symptoms appear faster and more severely, due to the instability and immaturity of the body. However, they are the same in both children and adults.

• Damage to the skin. The skin turns a rich red color, it becomes either very dry or wet, which looks like prickly heat. Severe itching begins, sometimes small blisters form. Tender areas of the skin are most affected: the face, back, hair growth zone, armpits, groin and thin skin on the hands and feet. In severe form, the tissues of the nasolabial triangle, throat and larynx swell, which can lead to breathing difficulties.
• Damage to the respiratory system. Depending on the severity, the upper or lower airways are affected. Upper: allergic rhinitis develops (runny nose, copious watery discharge, maceration of the skin under the nose), swallowing is accompanied by a slight sore throat (swelling of the lips, tongue), cough. Lower: swelling of the larynx and trachea (barking cough, shortness of breath, slurred speech), swelling of the bronchi, pain in the chest. This condition is extremely dangerous to health and is a threat to life.
• Damage to the gastrointestinal tract. With hyperreaction, the victim experiences nausea, up to vomiting and upset stool.In severe cases, dehydration develops due to severe fluid loss.
• General symptoms. A person experiences malaise, headache, dizziness, body temperature rises.
• Mucosal damage. The mucous membrane of the eye suffers the most. They redden, swell and become inflamed. Itching begins, uncontrolled lacrimation (or, conversely, dryness and burning), sometimes suppuration.

It is important to harden the baby's body, increase the body's resistance and be sure to consult an allergist.

It is advisable for lactating women to refuse a fresh product, since the allergen, along with mother's milk, enters the baby's body. Pregnant women have their own special contraindications. So, in late pregnancy, starting from the 22nd week, fresh strawberries cannot be eaten. This is due not only to a possible reaction due to hormonal changes, but also to certain substances that increase the tone of the uterus. The most formidable complication in this case can be premature birth. Also, eating berries at this time adversely affects the fetus and can cause congenital diathesis.

If a person has symptoms of hypersensitivity to strawberries, even in a mild form, first of all, it is necessary to exclude the product from the diet and visit a certified specialist.

The attending physician, after conducting all laboratory tests, will select the optimal treatment plan individually for each.

You need to start acting against this condition immediately. After confirming the diagnosis, antihistamines are prescribed, the purpose of which is to block histamine receptors, which are the main cause of the development of allergies.

For the speedy removal of an allergic reaction, fast-acting drugs are used. Taking Tavegil, Suprastin, Dimedrol or Diazolin will reduce swelling of soft tissues and make breathing easier after 10-15 minutes, which is important in the development of anaphylactic shock, angioedema and generalized urticaria. Side effects: weakness, decreased reaction and drowsiness.

With mild and moderate severity, new generation drugs are most often prescribed, which begin to work more slowly, but are more delicate to the heart muscle and central nervous system. These include "Fenistil", "Claritin", "Aleron" and "Cetirizine". The drugs act for twenty-four hours, in rare moments accompanied by drowsiness.

To facilitate breathing and relieve bronchospasm, you can take a bronchodilator, for example, Salbutamol. To remove decay products and toxic things, sorbents are drunk: they absorb harmful substances and help remove them from a weakened body (Smecta, activated carbon, Polysorb, and so on).The affected skin is lubricated with gels, ointments and creams of different groups: hormonal (ointments "Prednisolone" and "Hydrocortisone"), antihistamines ("Fenistil-gel", "Ketocin"), anti-inflammatory ("Bepanten", "Panthenol"). Uses oral sprays, drops, lotions, and so on to treat local symptoms.

From traditional medicine, the following useful recipes can be distinguished, which not only have a beneficial effect on the body, but are also devoid of side effects.

• Tincture from a string. Fill the string with boiling water and tightly seal the container. We insist for 30 minutes, the infusion should acquire a rich color. You need to take 50 milliliters three times a day.
• To reduce itching, you can prepare a decoction of bay leaves. Boil five or six bay leaves for 30 minutes on fire, then let cool. In the resulting product, we moisten gauze napkins and apply to irritated skin.
• Homemade ointment made from chicken eggs, vinegar and oil will help relieve inflammation. Vinegar is mixed with an egg and kept for 24 hours, add butter to the resulting composition and put the ointment in the refrigerator. The composition should be applied before bedtime.
• To increase the overall resistance of the body and disinfect damaged areas of the skin, you can take warm baths with a strong decoction of oak bark and chamomile.

During the treatment period, it is necessary to follow a diet so as not to overload the gastrointestinal tract.

• Complete rejection of alcoholic beverages. Alcohol has the property of enhancing allergic reactions.
• Do not eat fatty, salty and fried foods.
• Sweet soda should also be avoided.
• Reducing the number of simple carbohydrates contained in confectionery.

In order to prevent the occurrence of allergies or its exacerbation, you need to follow some simple rules.

• Complete rejection of the berry. With a mild form, you can use heat-treated strawberry dishes.
• It is worth limiting the use of related fruits of strawberries: raspberries, wild strawberries, rose hips, apples, and so on.
• A healthy lifestyle will help keep the body in good shape, strengthen the immune system and increase resistance to the allergen.
• Preventive visit to a specialist once every 6 months to monitor their own condition.
• You can introduce the fetus into the diet of a child only from the age of two.
• A quick-acting antihistamine should always be in the bag in order to be able to stop an unexpected attack on your own, since it is not always possible to control the composition of purchased products.

You can see what to do if you are allergic to strawberries and other berries in the video below.