I can no longer eat cod roe because of lipstick…an unexpected factor! Adult Food Allergy” is at the Forefront of the case studies.

One morning, I woke up to find my face in a p…

I am afraid to tell you about my own experience, but one day I woke up and found that my face had turned into a clay figurine. It was so swollen that I could not even open my eyes. I rushed to my dermatologist, who told me, “I think it was caused by the mango I ate yesterday or the kiwi I ate the day before yesterday, but it was probably mango in the way it appeared. Mango is a member of the poison ivy family. You touched your face with your mango-touched hands, didn’t you? Indeed, I munched on it because I didn’t want to waste the pulp on the seeds, but I had no problem until then!

He told me, “Once you get it, you will probably get it again, so before you eat mango pudding or mango ice cream, put a little on your hand and do a patch test before you eat it. I took the prescribed medicine and the swelling went away in about four days.

But still, ……. I don’t know if I’m allergic by nature, but when I eat yam or tapioca, I get itchy all over and always vomit, but why with mango?　I’ve heard that food allergies in adults are on the rise these days, and I’m suddenly curious. Therefore, we asked Dr. Tomoma Fukutomi, a leading researcher and treatment specialist, about the causes of allergies that are too surprising and the forefront of research.

Surfing, gloves, and pets…… “Surprising Factors” Causing Food Allergies

The two most common mechanisms of allergy in adults are “oral sensitization,” in which people gradually become allergic to food as they eat it, and “extraintestinal sensitization,” which is triggered by exposure of the skin, eyes, nose, and other mucous membranes to allergens, with “extraintestinal sensitization” branching off from there. The “extra-intestinal sensitization” is divided into two main categories. Let us look at some specific examples.

I didn’t know it was caused by pets! I didn’t know it was caused by pets! Pork-Cat Syndrome Cat Syndrome

People who are allergic to cats may develop the allergy by eating pork without realizing that they are allergic to cats. Allergens similar to those to which some people allergic to cats react exist in pork and other foods, and when people eat them, they develop allergies.

When the ingredients of the food that causes the allergy and the food that causes symptoms are similar, the body may mistakenly react to them even though they are different, which is called a “cross-reaction. This is called “cross-reaction” (Dr. Tomoma Fukutomi).

◇ ◇ “Allergic reaction to soy milk” due to pollen Allergy to soy milk caused by pollen

There have been cases of people allergic to pollen of the Betulaceae family experiencing oral allergy or anaphylaxis when they drink beverages containing soybeans as the main ingredient.

Pollen is responsible for the development of numerous fruit and vegetable allergies. The most common cause of food allergy in adults is a cross-reaction between pollen and fruit.

◇ ◇ Natto allergy is common among surfers.

Surfers are prone to jellyfish stings in the ocean, and since PGA, a component of jellyfish, is also found in natto, people who have been stung by jellyfish may develop an allergy to natto.

In Hokkaido, it is reported that fishermen, not surfers, are more likely to develop the allergy.

◇ ◇ Latex-” caused by rubber gloves. Fruit Syndrome

Medical workers and others who frequently use latex gloves are more likely to develop the syndrome. This is also a cross-reaction, reacting to bananas, avocados, kiwis, chestnuts, etc. “People who use rubber gloves have a tendency to have rough hands.

Many people who use rubber gloves have rough hands, through which allergens can easily enter the body. Then, in response to latex allergens IgE antibodies are produced against the latex allergen, and they become allergic to foods with similar ingredients.”

◇ ◇ Lipstick causes “strawberry jam and cod roe” to become inedible?

Cochineal, a red pigment from South American insects, is commonly used in European-made lipsticks and eye shadows, and at the same time is used in foods as a coloring agent. When cochineal in cosmetics invades the skin, eyes, or other mucous membranes, allergic reactions can occur to strawberry jam, cod roe, and other foods made with cochineal pigment.

“Image-wise, if a properly made-up person comes to me and says, ‘I have an allergy of unknown origin that causes my eyelids and lips to swell after eating ……,’ I suspect that’s what it is. As with jellyfish and latex, there is a certain background of allergies to which one is prone. I would never suspect cochineal as the cause of an unexplained allergy in an adult male.”

Jogging causes “wheat flour allergy.

In some cases, the symptoms do not appear until certain triggers are added to the food. A typical example is “exercise. It is called “food-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis,” and it occurs only when exercise is performed within 2 to 4 hours after ingestion of the causative food.

‘ Besides exercise, secondary factors include antipyretic analgesics, excessive fatigue, stress, and alcohol consumption.”

It is only recently that factors other than food have become apparent!

Allergies are a real nuisance. It would be easier to understand if you think of it like a cough, for example. There are many causes of coughing, and it’s not just one disease. Adult food allergies are just like that.”

Oral sensitization,” in which people gradually become allergic to food as they eat it, has been well known for a long time, but “extraintestinal sensitization” has become increasingly clear over the past 10 years.

For us allergists, the “Cha no Shizuku Soap” incident in 2011 had a strong impact. We were like, ‘How can something so unexpected cause a food allergy? ‘” he said. Since then, we have been seriously inquiring whether there are causes other than food.

As for cross-reactions, there were quite a few papers from the ’90s that people become allergic to fruits due to hay fever. ……

Incidentally, the “old Cha no Shizuku soap problem” was an incident in which people who used soap containing ingredients hydrolyzed from wheat developed systemic allergies when they ate wheat-containing foods and then exercised. The manufacturer and distributor are still voluntarily recalling the product.

The most frightening thing now is the “that thing” that the government is trying to recommend.

Adult allergies are complicated and bizarre. New allergies are likely to appear in the future due to changes in our living environment. In such a situation, Dr. Fukutomi is now most concerned about …….

He says, “It is allergy caused by eating insects. The government is trying to promote it, but I think there will be a lot of patients. People who are allergic to crustaceans have a high rate of symptoms when they eat insects, and if they continue to eat them, they will gradually become allergic to them. The papers show that there are ethnic groups with high insect diets. In Laos, for example, there are reports of high levels of insect allergies.”

Some airlines offer in-flight meals with edible crickets, but are they safe?

No, I think it is dangerous. The symptoms are similar to those of a shell allergy, and those with severe allergies can suffer from severe anaphylaxis.

No pollen, no pets, no insects. …… I can’t even exercise. I’m getting kind of scared. What on earth should I eat?

‘I’m not… I’m of the position that it’s better not to think about anything before the onset of the disease. There is no point in worrying about it, and it is difficult to predict the onset of the disease by blood tests.

It is difficult to predict the onset of the disease through blood tests and other means. If you suspect symptoms, it is important to see an experienced doctor. It is important to see a doctor. Administratively, there is the Basic Law on Allergic Disease Control, and each prefecture has established a base facility for allergic disease control.

Food allergies can be life-threatening. If two or more symptoms of illness appear, such as urticaria and abdominal pain, do not hesitate to seek emergency medical attention!

Oh, by the way, doctor, was my mango allergy really “extraintestinal sensitization” after all?

No, it may not be an allergy. It is well known that yams and mangoes contain “pseudoallergens,” substances that cause prickling and irritation. Some people have quite severe symptoms of these prickly substances. So it’s hard to tell which is which just by listening to the symptoms.

See ……. You think it might just be a hypersensitivity to prickly substances?　Fearful food allergy. It’s usually too mysterious. ……

Check out the Allergy Portal (Japanese Society of Allergology) to find a base facility.

Yuma Fukutomi, M.D., Director of the Allergen Research Laboratory, Department of Clinical Research Promotion, Clinical Research Center, National Hospital Organization Sagamihara Hospital. After working at Okinawa Prefectural Hokubu Hospital, he joined the Department of Allergy at Sagamihara Hospital in 2006, and became a researcher at the same Clinical Research Center in 2009. He has been in his current position since 2012. Author of “Adult Food Allergy” (Shueisha Shinsho) and other books.