Do Oranges Make Your Lips Itch? Here's the Reason Why

People with food sensitivities or allergies tend to be pretty careful about what they eat, particularly when it comes to dairy, nuts, and seafood. But even those without any restrictions may sometimes find themselves with a tingly or burning sensation on their lips or in their mouth after eating an orange, apple, or other fruit or vegetable.

1. Why Oranges Can Make Your Lips Tingle
2. Avoiding Symptoms of Oral Allergy Syndrome

Usually it goes away on its own, and they may not think much of it. Some might just assume they have existing skin irritation that’s reacting to the acidity in the fruit. But there’s another, lesser-known explanation.

Why Oranges Can Make Your Lips Tingle

With all its fiber, vitamins, and nutrients, fresh produce is generally excellent for your health. But fruits and vegetables also contain proteins that are similar to plant pollens—the same kind of pollen that can produce allergy symptoms. When someone’s immune system mistakes these proteins for plant pollens, it triggers what’s known as oral allergy syndrome (OAS) or pollen-food allergy syndrome.

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People with OAS aren’t really allergic to the fruits themselves, just the proteins that mimic the pollen they are allergic to, a response known as a cross-reactive allergy. It can also develop suddenly, with people who have eaten a certain fruit (like a banana) for years finding themselves having symptoms. Biting into a fruit can prompt a burning or tingling sensation on the lips or in the mouth or throat; occasionally, it can cause mild swelling. If the allergy is severe enough, it could cause a life-threatening swelling of the throat (anaphylaxis), but this is extremely rare. Unlike the severe reactions that can occur with peanut allergies, the human stomach breaks down these proteins, making a serious amount of swelling unlikely.

Certain foods can be associated with specific pollen sensitivities. If you have a ragweed allergy, for example, you might react to carrots and peaches.

According to information from National Jewish Health, having seasonal allergies doesn’t automatically mean you’ll develop OAS. But if you react to birch trees, grass, or weeds, you’re more likely to experience symptoms than those with other types of pollen allergies. The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology shares that 50 percent to 75 percent of adults with a birch tree pollen allergy may have a cross-reactive response to eating apples or celery.

Some people have theorized that their itchiness or swelling might be a reaction to pesticides found on fruit, but this appears to be a myth, particularly if the food is washed before serving.

Avoiding Symptoms of Oral Allergy Syndrome

As ailments go, OAS is relatively easy to live with. Some people find that peeling fruit alleviates a lot of their symptoms. That’s because the protein that the body mistakes for pollen is concentrated on the skin.

Baking the fruit also denatures the protein, effectively removing it from the equation entirely. If you like bananas, making banana bread will likely eliminate the allergic reaction. The same for apples and applesauce, or cooked vegetables.

Not everyone will react to the same foods, or even the same varieties of foods. A honeycrisp apple, for example, might provoke a reaction, while a green apple may not.

You can also try avoiding certain foods associated with specific pollens when the pollens are in season, which can make symptoms worse. People can also take an antihistamine to reduce their histamine reaction.

There’s no specific test for OAS, but a physician can test for pollen allergies. If the patient reports a history of an allergic reaction to certain foods, then it’s reasonable to assume they have a cross-reactive response. The bottom line? If you love peaches but suspect OAS, try the peach cobbler instead.

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