Some people are allergic to tomatoes, when they consume the fruit; histamines are released in to the skin, nose, respiratory system and digestive tract. This sets off an allergic reaction.
Tomatoes belong to the nightshade family and contain a high degree of a component known as salicylate and some people cannot endure any amount of salicylate in the diet.
An individual having a tomato allergy is also vulnerable to allergic reactions with other foods belonging to the nightshade family – potatoes, tobacco, and eggplant.
When you have a food allergy, the immune mechanism erroneously recognizes a particular food or a component in the food as injurious. Your immune mechanism releases antibodies known as immunoglobulin E antibodies to counterbalance the allergen.
The next time you consume even the minutest quantity of that particular food, the IgE antibodies recognize it and convey signals to the immune system to secrete histamines in to the blood. The histamines set off a host of symptoms which characterize your allergy.
Symptoms Of Allergic Reaction To Tomatoes
- Gastrointestinal trouble – diarrhea, increased salivation, vomiting and abdominal pain and discomfort.
- Profuse sweating.
- Watering from the eyes.
- Itching in the throat.
- Hives on the skin – red welts that itch and burn.
- Tingling lips and red, itchy mouth.
- Headache.
- Rhinitis, sneezing and coughing.
- You may develop eczema with episodes of exacerbations.
- Tightening of the chest and gasping.
- Your face and tongue may swell up.
In rare cases, you could develop an anaphylactic reaction. This is typified as – difficulty with breathing, shortness of breath, swelling of the tongue, uvula and throat, slurring and disorientation. You need to avoid this fruit at all times if you have such a reaction.
Anaphylaxis is a potentially life threatening situation and cannot be neglected at all. It requires instant medical attention without wasting any time or a previously prescribed injection of adrenalin. You need to discuss with your doctor to understand your allergic reaction and take appropriate steps.
Treatment Options For Tomato Allergy
- First and foremost, once you have ascertained the fact that the tomato is triggering all the nasty symptoms of an allergy, ideally, you need to steer clear of the food. Try to find alternatives for the fruit.
- In case you love tomatoes and if the symptoms of the allergy are very mild and not debilitating, you can enjoy tomatoes along with other foods, not by itself and never on an empty stomach since that increases the chances of inflammation. In addition, experts say that if you chew gum after eating tomatoes, it allays the symptoms considerably, given that it relieves the symptoms of GI reflux.
- Get an IgE test done to understand how bad your allergy is. Confer with your health care provider; he will explain it to you.
- Read labels carefully whilst picking up food products and ready to eat foods.
- In case you have consumed a tomato based meal, take anti-histamine to ward off the symptoms of the allergy immediately. Discuss with your physician which one would be suitable for you.
- Ginger is an excellent home remedy to manage most mild symptoms of an allergy. The gingerols in ginger are a powerful anti-inflammatory agent which ally most symptoms successfully – running nose, sneezing, watering eyes, tummy pain and vomiting.