WEBVTT - How Can Hay Fever Cause Food Allergies?

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to brain stuff, a production of iHeart Radio, Hey

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<v Speaker 1>brain Stuff, Lauren vog obamb here ever had an itch

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<v Speaker 1>you couldn't scratch well up to Adults who are allergic

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<v Speaker 1>to birch tree pollen and who eat common fruits and

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<v Speaker 1>vegetables raw like apples, cherries, pears, celery, and carrots have

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<v Speaker 1>that exact problem, and hay fever a k A. Allergic

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<v Speaker 1>rhinitis is the primary culprit Let's back up a step.

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<v Speaker 1>Allergies are the result of the immune system's mistaken response

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<v Speaker 1>to some harmless substance. Your immune system stands guard and

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<v Speaker 1>defends your body against intruders that can be dangerous, such

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<v Speaker 1>as viruses, bacteria, and other harmful things. When it encounters

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<v Speaker 1>an invader, your immune system releases histamines and other compounds

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<v Speaker 1>to destroy the invader and flush it out of your system.

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<v Speaker 1>Histamines cause a runny nose, sneezing, itching, and watery eyes

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<v Speaker 1>and swelling as tissue nearby prepares to help in the fight,

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<v Speaker 1>which are all great for helping get bad stuff out

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<v Speaker 1>of your system and are all unpleasant symptoms that we

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<v Speaker 1>associate with being sick and with having an allergic reaction.

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<v Speaker 1>And when it does its job well. Your immune system

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<v Speaker 1>keeps you from getting sick every time some ill intentioned

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<v Speaker 1>germ finds its way into your body. But your immune

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<v Speaker 1>system can also overperform, going on the offensive when it

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<v Speaker 1>encounters dust or pet dander or pollen, and it turns

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<v Speaker 1>out the proteins and some fruits and vegetables mimic proteins

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<v Speaker 1>and pollen. This cross reaction is known as oral allergy

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<v Speaker 1>syndrome or o a S or pollen food syndrome, which

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<v Speaker 1>may cause itchiness or swelling in the mouth, face, lips, tongue,

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<v Speaker 1>and throat immediately after eating raw fruits and vegetables. You

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<v Speaker 1>can go for years without having the condition. It usually

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<v Speaker 1>appears in late childhood to young adulthood, but don't be

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<v Speaker 1>alarmed if eed the you have it. O S is

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<v Speaker 1>a mild food allergy and only in rare cases causes

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<v Speaker 1>harmful reactions like anaphylaxis or severe throat swelling. Those reactions

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<v Speaker 1>are another example of how the immune system can overperform,

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<v Speaker 1>essentially throwing way too much firepower at the potential problem.

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<v Speaker 1>Just like other allergies, o S can occur at any

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<v Speaker 1>time of year and isn't the same for everyone. As.

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<v Speaker 1>Some people may get an allergic reaction by eating only

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<v Speaker 1>one variety of apple, or multiple types of fruits or vegetables,

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<v Speaker 1>or a specific kind of nut, such as peanuts or

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<v Speaker 1>hazel nuts. Researchers in Japan who tested sixty three patients

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<v Speaker 1>with O I S over six years found that apples, peaches, kiwi,

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<v Speaker 1>and melons produced the most OAS cases in the study.

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<v Speaker 1>But a person's OS allergy depends on their specific pollen allergy.

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<v Speaker 1>For instance, people with allergies to grasses may have a

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<v Speaker 1>reaction to peaches and tomatoes, while people allergic to ragweed

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<v Speaker 1>may react to bananas and zucchini. In case you're itching

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<v Speaker 1>to know, there's no specific test for O A S,

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<v Speaker 1>but an allergy skin test or blood test for specific

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<v Speaker 1>pollen should do the trip. Because protein is often concentrated

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<v Speaker 1>in a fruit or vegetable's skin, peeling at first may help,

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<v Speaker 1>or you could turn up the heat and opt for

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<v Speaker 1>microwaving or baking, which breaks down the proteins the trigger

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<v Speaker 1>O A S. But the best of defense is to

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<v Speaker 1>avoid the raw foods that cause the reactions. Today's episode

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<v Speaker 1>is based on the article Your hay fever could make

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<v Speaker 1>You allergic? To some fruits on how stuff works dot Com,

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<v Speaker 1>written by Shelley Dancy. Brain Stuff is production of by

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<v Speaker 1>Heart Radio in partnership with how stuff Works dot Com,

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<v Speaker 1>and it's produced by Tyler Klang. For more podcasts my

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