Strawberry allergy: how to recognize it and what to do

Strawberry allergy can be mild to severe. Let's find out the symptoms and what are the things to know.

As many know, strawberries are foods capable of causing adverse reactions or making commonly allergic subjects more sensitive.
There is, however, an allergy to these fruits that few know and which can lead to adverse reactions that it is much better to learn to recognize. Here, then, what are the symptoms of this allergy and how to behave when it occurs.

Strawberry allergy symptoms

Fruit symbol of the spring season, strawberries are beautiful to look at, colorful, delicious and suitable for creating different preparations. Unfortunately, however, in some cases you can be allergic to the point that you can't eat them or feel sick when you decide to do so.

To understand if you are dealing with a form of allergy to strawberries, it is important to know first of all that strawberries are rich in histamine . For this reason, the fact that they lead to an allergic reaction does not necessarily mean that the person who eats them is also allergic.

To recognize the allergy to strawberries it is therefore important to learn to recognize the symptoms.
These range from the "simple" skin reaction to much more serious reactions.
Among the best known symptoms are:

– Urticaria
– Diarrhea
– Itchy mouth and throat
– Respiratory difficulties
– Nausea
– Vomit
– Cough
– Nasal congestion
– Dizziness
– Skin rashes

In severe cases, rapid heartbeat, swollen tongue and throat , lightheadedness, fainting, low blood pressure and abdominal cramps can occur.
In the face of these symptoms it is very important to seek help immediately by going to the emergency room or by finding someone who will provide assistance.

The symptoms, which can appear just a few minutes after ingestion, can in fact evolve very rapidly, worsening until they become dangerous to health. In rarer cases it is important to know that a strawberry allergy can occur even after hours.

Strawberry allergy: cross-reactions and what to avoid

Given the presence of histamine, in the event of mild reactions, there may be doubts about the possible allergy to strawberries. In this case, you may request to carry out an allergy test aimed at discovering the presence of the allergy. If this is indeed revealed it is important to remember that those allergic to these fruits could have cross-reactions to other fruits such as apples, raspberries, pears, cherries, blackberries and peaches.

Furthermore, abstention from the consumption of strawberries must also be added to everything that contains even a small part of it. We therefore go from creams to strawberry desserts to food flavourings. Learning to read labels therefore becomes very important, as is always declaring your allergy when eating out or with friends and relatives.

In case of accidental ingestion, depending on the degree of allergy it may be useful to use antihistamines, or if the doctor has prescribed them, epinephrine auto-injectors, to always carry with you in the most serious cases. In fact, it should not be forgotten that as with all allergies, prevention is the best way to take care of yourself.

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