It's hard to find a person who doesn't like bananas. Nutritionists say that these fruits contain all the nutrients necessary for the body and are also able to eliminate hunger for a long time. Despite all the advantages, there is one significant drawback - an allergy to bananas. A negative reaction after eating bananas is actually extremely rare. These fruits belong to the medium allergenic category of products. Sometimes such a reaction of the body becomes cross and goes to other fruits.
Why do allergies occur?
In recent years, bananas have become an indispensable product for many families. Sweet tropical fruit is loved not only by children, but also by adults. Pediatricians even recommend introducing it (in a small amount) as complementary foods to babies in the first year of life. But not everyone knows the fact that bananas can provoke an allergic reaction. According to statistics, from 0.2 to 1.2% of the population suffer from such an ailment.
One ofThe reasons for the development of a similar situation, experts call an excess of serotonin, which is contained in bananas in large quantities. Therefore, such a reaction is called pseudo-allergic, indicating an excess of the "hormone of happiness" in the blood. Eliminating serotonin-enriched fruits from your diet for a while will help normalize the levels of the substance in your body, and your allergy symptoms will go away.
Real (true) allergy to bananas is very rare. This response of the immune system is associated with intolerance to certain substances that contain tropical fruits.
Most often, it is not the bananas themselves that provoke allergies, but the chemicals that were used to process them during transportation and storage. Children of the younger age category are especially at risk of developing a pathological condition.
Allergy symptoms
Can there be an allergy to a banana and how does it manifest itself? Like any other food allergy, it takes some time for the immune system to react negatively to these delicious fruits. You can determine the disease by the following symptoms:
- appearance of red spots on the skin;
- itchy skin;
- swelling of the mucous membranes (larynx, oral cavity);
- nausea, vomiting;
- indigestion (diarrhea);
- abdominal pain;
- sore throat;
- allergic cough;
- lower blood pressure;
- dizziness;
- loss of consciousness (rare).
Temperature with allergies most often occurs just against the background of food intolerance to certain foods. A similar symptom usually occurs in children.
The most severe allergic reaction is anaphylactic shock. With a slow pulse, dizziness, the patient needs to call an ambulance as soon as possible.
Allergy to bananas in children
The body of a small child is extremely vulnerable to allergens. The immature immune system is not yet able to "distinguish" between safe and harmful substances and therefore reacts negatively to all new foods that a child tries. Despite the fact that pediatricians recommend giving babies a banana (at 8-9 months), this fruit cannot be called completely safe. In some cases, such a delicacy may “not like” the immune system. Parents can find out about this by an allergic rash in the form of pimples on the child's cheeks, tummy and buttocks.
In middle-aged children, an allergic reaction to a tropical fruit is also considered rare. Most often, this condition is associated with excessive consumption of bananas. In this case, not only skin reactions appear, but also disturbances in the digestive tract. Some parents report that children have a fever when they are allergic to a food. Doctors recommend giving the child an antihistamine medicine to relieve symptoms and temporarily eliminating bananas from the diet.
Diagnosis
Every year more people suffer from allergiesnumber of people. This disease can be congenital (transmitted from parents) or acquired. The allergology clinic is the first place to go if you suspect an ailment. Experienced, qualified specialists (allergists) will prescribe the necessary tests to help determine the true cause of the allergic reaction.
Examination of the patient begins with the collection of an anamnesis, in which cases of a similar reaction of the body will be recorded. An allergist is interested in the working and living conditions of the patient, the presence of allergic diseases in close relatives. After the initial treatment, experts recommend that patients keep a special food diary, where information about the foods eaten per day and the reaction of the body should be recorded. This will make it easier to identify the allergen. A more detailed picture of the course of the pathological condition can be obtained after passing the examination.
Types of tests for allergies
If a patient suspects that he is allergic to bananas, the first thing to do is to eliminate this product from the diet. This diagnostic method is called an elimination test. It is most often used to identify food allergies. In addition, almost any modern allergology clinic provides an opportunity to make skin tests of an immediate type (intradermal injection of an allergen). Skin tests are usually needed for allergic contact dermatitis. After examination in the clinic or department of allergology, the doctor determines the treatment regimen for a particular patient.
How are allergies treated?
First of all, the patient must follow a hypoallergic diet, which implies the exclusion from the menu of not only the bananas themselves, but completely all products that can provoke a negative reaction of the immune system. If the symptoms of the pathology persist, you should consult an allergist.
To suppress an allergic reaction, drugs that block histamine receptors should be taken. Antihistamine drugs can not only remove the signs of the disease, but also prevent their development in advance. The most well-known and effective medicines in this category include the following:
- "Suprastin";
- "Diazolin";
- Claritin;
- "Loratadine";
- Zodak;
- "Tavegil";
- "Astemizol";
- Fencalor;
- Cetrin.
Be aware that some drugs have a more powerful preventive effect and have little effect on allergy symptoms that have already manifested.
Is it common for adults to be allergic to bananas?
Not only kids love bananas. Tasty and he althy tropical fruit is not averse to eating and many adults. An unexpected reaction of the body in the form of a skin rash, tearing and itching to an eaten banana can appear suddenly. And it is absolutely optional to have a history of allergies.
This response of the immune system is more often observed when substances enter the body,which fruits were processed before they hit the counter in the store. To prevent the further development of a pathological condition, be sure to wash bananas under running water before peeling.
Who shouldn't eat bananas?
True allergy to bananas is the main reason to completely eliminate this fruit from the menu. Experts also advise people suffering from thrombophlebitis, varicose veins, and thrombosis to refrain from eating bananas. Bananas are digested for a long time and therefore can cause increased gas formation, bloating, pain in the epigastric region. Tropical delicacy contains a large amount of sugar. If you have diabetes, it is better to refrain from using them.
