The food you eat can either be a medicine or poison.
Natural food is filled with vitamins and minerals. But, there have been cases where ingesting vitamin rich fruits or vegetables triggered allergic symptoms.
However, there are very rare cases reported of melon allergy. This allergy-eliciting fruit when ingested irritates immune system resulting in adverse reaction.
Food allergy triggers when you ingest allergenic food, immune system reacts harshly and releases IgE antibodies to combat them. Next time, when you ingest, contact or even inhale similar allergenic food, antibody molecules stimulate a chemical reaction that leads to various allergy symptoms.
Depending on immune system and impact of the allergy, mild, moderate and severe symptoms can be experienced.
A study carried with 66 patience with melon allergy and 95 with pollen allergy. 100% of melon allergy patients are sensitive to pollen. Thus, the study concludes that melon allergy is linked to pollen allergy. (1)
If you’re allergic to pollen, then experts recommend avoiding raw fruits and vegetables. Cook or boil them to remove pollen particles with them.
Melon Allergy Symptoms
Signs of all food allergies are identical to some extent. Just by seeing a symptom, you can’t determine the allergen. You must get diagnosed by practicing allergist or physician to confirm the allergen.
As mentioned, in some cases people who’re allergic to certain fruit or vegetable, experienced allergic reaction just by inhaling them while cooking.
Some common signs of melon allergy are listed below.
- Asthma
- Swelling of lips, tongue and throat
- Sneezing
- Sinus pain and headache
- Nausea
- Low blood pressure
- Redness over face and around lips
- Skin flushing and swelling
- Watery and itchy eyes
- Difficulty in breathing
- Diarrhea
- Constipation
- Vomiting and abdominal pain
- Anaphylaxis
Serious symptoms like anaphylaxis and difficulty in breathing are life threatening, person need immediate medical attention.
Oral allergy syndrome or pollen allergy can also be experienced with this reaction.
Diagnosis
Physician or allergist will conduct skin-prick test to determine the allergic food. If the result is positive, then you must avoid melon fruit in all forms.
Any food or personal care products that incorporate this allergen must be prevented.
Moderate or mild allergy signs can be reduced by anti-histamines and oral steroids. Eye drops will be prescribed for watery and itchy eyes.
It’s not important that the person must experience all listed symptoms. As said depending on immune system some may experience only swelling, while other may see oral allergy symptoms.
A person who is sensitive to pollen may also experience melon allergy, because ragweed pollen particular pollen) protein profilins is found in melon and other fruits.
Tingling sensation around mouth, swelling of lips and other signs as mentioned above can be experienced. To avoid cross reactivity, you must make sure about the proteins and allergens to avoid. Also other fruits that include identical proteins must be avoided.
