A citrus allergy: mandarins are canceled on New Year’s Eve

An allergy to citrus is caused by the hypersensitivity of the immune system, which perceives an inoffensive product as dangerous to health. It can be dangerous sometimes and can lead to unpleasant consequences. Which ones?

Symphtomes

Main symptoms of citrus allergy are relatively light and quite typical for most food allergies. An allergic reaction often begins with a cold or the appearance of a rash on the skin. A tingling on the lips or tongue may also occur. An allergy to citrus can cause hoarseness and a “prickly” feeling in the throat. The reaction can also affect the respiratory system, leading to wheezing and coughing. In some cases, an allergy to citrus causes changes in the gastrointestinal tract, which manifest themselves in nausea, abdominal pain or in the stomach, vomiting, and diarrhea. The cause of allergy to citrus is the inadequate response of the body to the product and the production of histamine. An allergy may eventually pass, but there is no treatment for it. The only way to get rid of the symptoms is to avoid the citrus fruits and food made of them.

Anaphylaxis

For most people, an allergy to citrus fruits can lead to the minor symptoms, which are rather inconveniences and don’t provoke a need to call an ambulance. Severe allergic reactions, however, can cause anaphylaxis. An anaphylactic shock is a dangerous problem, in which several parts of the body are affected by severe allergic symptoms. An anaphylactic shock can affect the gastrointestinal tract, heart, lungs, blood vessels and even the skin. A blood pressure may drop sharply; the tongue swells, the respiratory tract narrows. This leads to the fact that oxygen is poorly distributed throughout the body. An anaphylactic shock is a life-threatening condition that requires an immediate medical attention. The time when symptoms appear depends on the individual characteristics of a patient and can vary from a few seconds to several hours. That is because different immune systems require a different reaction time. But in general, anaphylaxis occurs almost immediately. It is a very strong and fast immune response.