food allergy itchy mouth

Numbness and itching around the mouth caused by food allergy is essentially a type I hypersensitivity reaction triggered by the allergen after eating. Most mild to moderate symptoms can be relieved in 1-2 days by immediately stopping eating the allergen, applying local cold compresses, and taking oral second-generation antihistamines if necessary. In rare cases, respiratory tract swelling, body rash, dizziness, and palpitation require immediate medical treatment. There is no need to panic excessively and cannot be taken seriously.

Last week, I met a 16-year-old girl on the night shift. She rushed into the emergency room with half an uneaten mango in her hand. Her upper lip was swollen like a sausage. She couldn't speak well. She cried and said, "Doctor, my mouth is so numb that I can barely feel it. Is it going to die?" I handed her a glass of cold water and asked her to rinse her mouth and wipe it clean, and then opened a tablet of loratadine. After sitting there and observing for half an hour, most of the swelling disappeared, and the numbness and itching was reduced by 70%. I was about to leave happily - oh no, before I left, I stopped me and threw the remaining mangoes into the trash can. I was still thinking about eating them at this time.

In fact, the mucous membrane of our lips is more than one-third thinner than the skin on our arms, and it does not even have a complete stratum corneum. Allergenic food molecules are almost "directly connected" to the immune cells under the skin. These cells are originally responsible for guarding the door. When they recognize a "foreigner" that does not belong to the body, they release a bunch of signaling substances such as histamine on the spot. When the surrounding blood vessels expand, they become red and swollen, and the peripheral nerves are stimulated, which is the kind of tingling, tingling and itching feeling, like dozens of small ants crawling around the mouth. In more serious cases, small blisters will appear, which will be painful when touched.

Nowadays, there are actually two schools of thought regarding the clinical treatment of this simple numbness and itching of the mouth. Most of the people who advocate "taking medication immediately" are doctors in emergency departments and allergology departments. After all, they have seen too many cases where the mouth is itchy at first, and the throat is swollen and breathless half an hour later. Especially for people who have had severe allergies before, or are allergic themselves. Don't take it hard. Take a second-generation antihistamine as soon as symptoms appear. If you carry an epinephrine pen with you, use it as needed. Don't wait for the symptoms to worsen. And more doctors in dermatology and pediatric care departments will tend to "observe first and then decide", especially for people who have symptoms for the first time and have no history of allergies. As long as they have no other discomfort except numbness and itching around the mouth, they can rinse their mouth first to clean out the remaining allergens and apply a towel soaked in cold water for 10 minutes. Many people's symptoms subside in about half an hour. There is no need to rush to take medicine - after all, although second-generation antihistamines have minimal side effects, a few people will still feel sleepy after taking them. Children should use them as little as possible.

I have encountered many such patients in clinical practice. In summary, you don’t have to worry about who to listen to. You can do three checks yourself: feel the front of your neck to see if there is any tightness or swelling, whether your voice suddenly becomes hoarse, and whether you have the kind of wheals on your body that get more itchy the more you scratch them. If you don’t have any of these three things and you just feel uncomfortable around your mouth, then observe what you need to do. ； If you have the same problem, don't hesitate, take medicine immediately and go to the nearest hospital. Oh, by the way, don’t apply anything to your mouth blindly. Many people apply Piyanping, toothpaste, or even Fengyoujing when they can’t bear the itching. They are just looking for trouble for themselves—Piyanping is a powerful hormone, and it can easily leave pigmentation when applied around the thin lips. However, ingredients such as mint and fluoride in toothpaste will irritate the damaged mucous membrane, causing it to become swollen the more you apply it. The most exaggerated patient I have ever seen was that after applying toothpaste for three days, the area around his mouth was peeling off like a beard. It took half a month for the condition to completely heal.

The most common allergenic foods seen in outpatient clinics are mango, pineapple, and kiwi. Especially those who eat the fruit with the skin on, most of them are allergic to the components in the peel. If you peel the skin cleanly, cut it into pieces, put it in your mouth with a fork, and don't rub it around your lips, many people will not get sick. There are also shelled seafood, raw sashimi, and even some people will have this reaction when eating peaches and strawberries. I once met an old man who had a numb mouth after eating boiled peanuts, but no problem at all after eating fried peanuts. After checking the allergens, I found out that he was allergic to a protein produced by peanuts during storage. When frying, the high temperature destroys the protein and it is fine. It is also quite interesting.

Oh, by the way, don’t label it as an allergy whenever your mouth feels itchy. Last time, a young man came to see a doctor and asked if his mouth was numb and itchy after eating hot pot. I asked him if he was allergic. When I asked him, he poured half a bowl of pepper oil into the dipping sauce. Would that not make it numb? Also, if you eat unripe pineapples and persimmons, the bromelain and tannic acid in them will irritate the mucous membranes and cause itching and astringency. Just rinse your mouth and it will be fine after half an hour. It is not an allergy at all, so don’t make a fuss. Also, when the seasons change, many people have dry, flaky, and itchy lips. This is chronic cheilitis. Just apply more non-irritating lip balm. It has nothing to do with food allergies.

In general, food allergies and numbness and itching in the mouth are a big deal. If you have this symptom every time you eat the same thing, then try to touch it as little as possible in the future. If you really want to be greedy, take precautions in advance. If it is not possible, taking half an antihistamine half an hour in advance can do the trick. Of course, if you have experienced allergies, shortness of breath, or even fainting before, then you should avoid foods that you should avoid. Don’t risk your body on that one bite, it’s not worth it.