Citrus Allergy Symptoms

There are a lot of different food allergies out there today. And among the common food allergies, one of the most common would be a citrus allergy.

An allergy centering around citrus is typically seen when there is a Pantothenic Acid (Vitamin B-5) deficiency. A deficiency that is fare more common than you might believe at first.

Causes of a deficiency of Pantothenic Acid can often be large amounts of stress or trauma that cause the Adrenal Glands to burn it up more readily. Therefore, it is very common to see a citrus allergy amongst individuals with high stress or traumatic life situations. The stress can be caused through mental, emotional, or even physical means.

Usually one will recognized a citrus allergy by encountering problems in the digestive tract. This can include, but is not limited to, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and/or diarrhea. Non digestion related symptoms can include wheezing, itching, lowered blood pressure and hives.

Unfortunately, these symptoms are very common and can be shared with other food allergies. This means that it can sometimes be difficult to identify the allergy as citrus related, and a food diary may help narrow down the allergy candidates.

Identifying the allergy could be very important, however, since the severity can range from mild to serious. Read, critical. Although an upset stomach may not require medical care, allergies have been known to be life threatening in some cases (like anaphylactic shock which closes airways and can cause asphyxiation). So it is very important to take care with any allergy.

I can be a comon misconception that it is the citrus acid in citrus fruits that cause the allergy, but that is not correct as it is usually the proteins and substances specific to citrus fruits that cause the reaction.  Here are several of the most common foods that are recognized as contributing the symptoms of a citrus allergy:

• Clementine
• Kumquat
• Lime
• Mandarin
• Minneola
• Prunello
• Tangelo
• Satsuma
  
• Oranges
• Lemons
• Grapefruit
• Tomatoes
• Cantaloupe
• Tangerines
• Pineapple
  

You should always consult a doctor if you suspect you have a health concern, and a citrus allergy is no different.  Through keeping a good diary and some simple tests, the doctor should be able to diagnose whether or not you really have an allergy.

Treatment typically involves avoiding foods that cause a reaction.  In this case, that means citrus foods.  But note that often citrus allergy symptoms are not noticed with all citrus fruits, so this is not necessarily mean you can't have any citrus fruits.  But consult your doctor to be sure before trying any new citrus fruits.