Allergic to almonds?!

[ArsE92]

Hi Folks

Well, it's true what they say. I turned 40 in May, and since then I've had to start wearing glasses and I think I've developed an allergy!

In early July I had a strange experience after a glass of Lemon & Ginger tea. My tongue started to tingle causing some discomfort, so I stopped drinking it. I had never had that kind of reaction to lemon and ginger tea previously.

Then a couple of weeks later I had an almond slice and the same thing happened, but much worse. I had the same tingling tongue, but also struggled to swallow. Although the swallowing issue may have just been an anxiety reaction to the tingling.

Yesterday I had a chocolate brownie slice from Costa and I had a very mild instance of the tingling. Checking the ingredients I noticed that there is a small amount of almond in the brownie slice.

Has anyone else experienced anything similar? Google seems to point to Oral Allergy Syndrome.

Cheers

[battered]

Go see your GP, you'll get referred to an allergy clinic and get sorted out. Then you can avoid stuff you don't get on with. Nuts are very common allergens, they have unusual glycoproteins that seem to induce allergic responses.

[zarjaz1991]

Does sound like an allergy. I developed an allergy to something they put in mint chocolates....no idea what. But I can eat Polos OK! Only started about six years ago. Can't now eat Club Mint biscuits, Mint Matchmakers, After Eight etc. But am ok with orange flavours. No idea which ingredient it is.

[RobM77]

Yep, I get the same thing. As a kid I developed an allergy to apples, where my throat would itch like crazy and my lips swell and itch. As I got older, it spread to other things like nuts, all fresh fruit and some salads. As a 39 year old the only fruits I can eat raw are bananas before they get spots (ideally a little green still) and clementines (but not oranges strangely).

[Nimby]

RobM77 said:

... my throat would itch like crazy and my lips swell and itch. As I got older, it spread to other things like nuts

Painful!

[RobM77]

Nimby said:

RobM77 said:

... my throat would itch like crazy and my lips swell and itch. As I got older, it spread to other things like nuts

Painful!

[ArsE92]

Thanks all - I'll go and see the Dr

RobM77 said:

Nimby said:

RobM77 said:

... my throat would itch like crazy and my lips swell and itch. As I got older, it spread to other things like nuts

Painful!

[RobM77]

Incidentally, when I went to my GP I was referred to an allergy person who simply confirmed my allergy. No treatment or advice was given.

[Dogwatch]

RobM77 said:

Incidentally, when I went to my GP I was referred to an allergy person who simply confirmed my allergy. No treatment or advice was given.

Sounds about right for our beloved NHS.

[RobM77]

Dogwatch said:

RobM77 said:

Incidentally, when I went to my GP I was referred to an allergy person who simply confirmed my allergy. No treatment or advice was given.

Sounds about right for our beloved NHS.

I'm not sure there is a treatment for allergies is there?

[supercommuter]

I get this with cherrys, whole brazil nuts, whole almonds and even almond milk sometimes. It is very odd!

I can however demolish a tray of almon slices without getting even the slightest tingling sensation. I just avoid cherries and whole nuts!

[Nimby]

RobM77 said:

I'm not sure there is a treatment for allergies is there?

There's immunotherapy - you get injected over a period of time with a steadily-increasing amount of allergen in the hope that your immune system gets used to it and you build up tolerance.

I tried it years ago for house-dust mite and cats; it didn't work. But I think there's been recent a breakthrough in treating peanut allergy.