What are cucumbers?
Many people may confuse whether it is a fruit or vegetable as it can be used in both ways. Many people consume it raw as a fruit while some use it in dishes for best flavour.
It is widely cultivated plant with creeping vine structure that comes from a Cucurbitaceae gourd family and are grown in three varieties. They are originally discovered in south Asia but as times are evolving these plants are now grown in most of the continents.
Cucumber allergy:
Here we are about to know what are the several symptoms of cucumber allergy and how is it caused:
Cucumber allergy is a reaction that is caused by immune system where other people are normal to it. Allergies are caused by specific pollens that are used in growth of plant. People who are allergic to ragweed can also experience reactions after consuming cucumber.
Though cucumber comes with a lot of health benefits there are also some people who can be allergic to cucumber. So, let us know what are the causes of allergy how can we detect it what are the symptoms and diagnosis.
The allergic reactions on consumption of cucumber is not common. You don’t need to be sensitive to cucumber in order to experience allergic reactions. The reactions are caused if your immune system is disturbed by the proteins that are present in cucumber or in any of the fruits from same family the reactions starts triggering.
As some people are allergic to specific fruit so immune system wrongly determines the harmless proteins present in cucumber as a dangerous particle and reacts falsely by producing IgE antibodies. Histamines are soon released by immune system to control the proteins from body.
Cucumbers are mostly familiar to all of us, they are used for production of many items all over the world.
Also Read: Beetroot Allergy Symptoms and Diagnosis
Cucumbers have soft texture and sweet in taste that can be consumed raw gives a refreshing feel while consuming it. They can be also as toppings in salads. It consists of 95% of water so it comes with many health benefits. As the water content is high if you consume cucumber it helps to get rid of dehydration and are very fantastic to eat in hot weather.
They also provide several nutrients especially are low in calories, fat, sodium and cholesterol levels compared to all other fruits. Indian people have been using cucumber for food and medical purposes back from the ancient times.
As we stated earlier that cucumber comes with a lot of health benefits the main things is it relives dehydration, people who don’t tend to drink water very often add cucumber and mint to make it tastier than drinking plain water alone. Other than helping in dehydration it can help in improving bone health as they consist of Vitamin K can withstand blood clotting too.
Allergic reaction to cucumber:
The reaction caused by cucumber allergy may not be noticed particularly all the time people may not know what is the actual cause of allergy, from which food item the reaction is triggering is tough to know.
There are several symptoms that arise when your body starts reacting negatively to the proteins present in cucumber. Have an eye or be familiar with all the symptoms caused by several allergic reactions. In case you notice any reaction, you can treat it immediately.
It is better to get treated as soon as possible so that you may not face any serious problems in long run. Some allergy reaction may be harmless while some are treated as harmful.
Here we are going to list out several symptoms that are generally noticed when your body is allergic to cucumber.
Symptoms of cucumber allergy:
The reaction can be varied from mild to severe in rare cases. When you ignore these signs of allergy repeatedly and try eating allergic substances, symptoms can lead to serious conditions.
Some of the symptoms are listed below:
- Swelling of lips, tongue and throat
- Itchy mouth
- Difficulty in breathing
- Anaphylaxis (rare condition)
- Nasal congestion
- Sneezing and runny nose
- Oral allergy syndrome
- Asthma
- Itching and rashes
- Watery eyes
- Rhinitis
- Persistent cough
- Contact dermatitis or eczema
In some cases, these regular symptoms may lead to very serious condition. So, never ignore any of the casual symptoms that occur suddenly without any prior reason.
Cross reactivity:
The pollens and proteins of allergic food substances present in cucumber cross react to trigger allergic reaction. There are so many fruits that comes from the same family as cucumber which are watermelon, honeydew melon even if you are allergic to these fruits due to cross reactivity you may also be allergic to cucumber.
So, it’s better if you test before consuming foods related to same family.
We know earlier that cucumber comes with a lot of health benefits as cucumber contain high water content which helps us to relieve from dehydration. The anti-oxidants present in cucumber helps to defeat cancer causing agents. They help to control and also prevent diabetes; skin care can be drastically improved by consuming cucumbers.
These fruits are rich in carbohydrates, potassium and sodium levels and perfectly light food that can be taken on diet without any restrictions.
There are several types of cucumbers which each of them consists of different particles and comes with various health benefits.
If a person who consumed cucumber is suffering from breathing problems then they need immediate medical treatment. Anaphylaxis is a serious reaction of allergywhich can be life threatening.
Pay attention to whatever the symptoms you observe on your skin because those are the only things help you to determine what is the thing you are suffering from.
Diagnosis:
The best way to treat the allergy is to prevent eating the food that you are allergic too.
To determine the allergen, you must visit allergist. They will conduct you skin prick test to confirm the presence of antibodies that causes allergy in your body. There may be chances of exploring your skin to different allergens during the test.
After conducting several tests if the allergen is confirmed, you must stay away from it. Avoid all the foods that include foods which are related to same family.
For some acute reactions use anti histamines medication to treat them at early stages. Make sure you do not get in contact with the foods that you are allergic to. Let your family and friends know about your allergic reaction so that they may take care while cooking.
Also have look on the ingredients in the dish when you visit a restaurant and avoid if it contains cucumber or any things that are comes from same family. Cucumber consists of high nitrate which can be risky for children so avoid feeding cucumber to children in large quantities.
The reactions of cucumber allergy are not common, but in rare cases when you are continuously exposed to allergens that may lead to leaf threatening situation.
Allergy reactions can be caused by different vegetables for different people. Be careful and treat them as early as possible to avoid any type of serious issues in future.
We know there are a lot of health benefits but some people may be allergic to it. Know what allergens are causing allergy in your immune system and avoid them.
Eat healthy food and stay healthy!!
Have a colourful life!!