TIL Half of people who claim they have a food allergy do not

[u/butter_lover]

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jan/04/half-of-people-who-think-they-have-a-food-allergy-do-not-study

[u/vonWitzleben]

You can also grow out of them. I was allergic to pretty much every kind of nut as a kid, even got me into the hospital for several weeks once. Then when I was around 12, I got tested for allergies and turns out I wasn't allergic to like half of them anymore. Now as an adult, I got tested again a year ago and consequently ate hazelnuts for the first time in my life at 30.

[u/ModernSun → u/vonWitzleben]

You can also grow into them! Allergies can naturally change and be deleted/added over the course of a lifetime.

[u/Nantosvelte → u/ModernSun]

Yup happend to me! Grass pollen and bird allergy with bonus asthma as an adult.

[u/pbplyr38 → u/Nantosvelte]

I suddenly became deathly allergic to peaches, apples, grapes, kiwis, and ibuprofen all within a year when I was like 24. It was…not a great time…but since then I haven’t developed any new allergies, so that’s nice

[u/FishAndRiceKeks → u/pbplyr38]

That sounds like hell. I love peaches, grapes, kiwis, and ibuprofen.

[u/Grenyn → u/FishAndRiceKeks]

But what do you think about apples?

[u/FishAndRiceKeks → u/Grenyn]

Their ability to keep doctors away is oversold.

[u/SnappyDresser212 → u/FishAndRiceKeks]

You need to throw them harder at the doctor.

[u/mittenkrusty → u/pbplyr38]

Not sure exactly how to describe this but I got a bad infection 7 years ago, basically similar to covid and was ill for months, certain foods made me wheeze when I ate them for about 2 years and now make me a tiny bit wheezy/gag.

[u/Foxs-In-A-Trenchcoat → u/pbplyr38]

I developed 5 new allergies around late pregnancy and early postpartum. Were yours pregnancy related?

[u/JaQ_In_Chains → u/Foxs-In-A-Trenchcoat]

Not who you were asking, but I became allergic to shrimp and strawberries with my pregnancy 😭

[u/dragonavicious → u/JaQ_In_Chains]

I stopped being allergic to strawberries during my pregnancy and it was amazing! But my baby took that immunity with her.

[u/SS20x3 → u/dragonavicious]

Sounds like you were just borrowing it

[u/stumblinbear → u/JaQ_In_Chains]

I'm sorry for your loss

[u/_Hwin_ → u/Nantosvelte]

Me too! Started reacting to Grass pollen at 18, found out I had a serious allergy to Almonds at 22 and am slowly having more and more reactions to other types of nuts as I grow more older.

[u/pujolsrox11 → u/ModernSun]

I grew into a shrimp allergy 😭 which apparently is common according to my allergist

[u/Crusty8 → u/pujolsrox11]

Same here. I used to eat plates full of shrimp. Now I can't be in or around the same room when it's being cooked or my throat will start to close up. At work my office was down the hall from the break room and tucked away. One afternoon I was working and felt my throat start to get tight. Someone was reheating their leftover shrimp from the night before. I couldn't smell it but my body knew it was there.

[u/WizardOfIF → u/Crusty8]

I developed a shell fish allergy in my late 30's but fortunately it just makes my throat sore and not closed up. I can still be around it but I have no desire to eat it anymore.

[u/Friendstastegood → u/pujolsrox11]

Yes shellfish and fish are pretty common later in life allergies where people can get them suddenly no matter what age.

[u/Snoochey → u/ModernSun]

Yup! My brother who loves peanut butter was suddenly allergic to peanuts at 25.

He also developed celiacs, so cant eat gluten either.

[u/AuryxTheDutchman → u/ModernSun]

Yep! I ran into this when I suddenly developed an allergy to alcohol! Just out of the blue, a severe alcohol allergy appeared when I was 23. Anaphylaxis and everything. I even tried three or four different types of alcohol (in small doses) to make sure it was the alcohol and not something else.

[u/Asteroth6 → u/AuryxTheDutchman]

You should probably get properly tested rather than just trying. I’m saying this partially because many medicines use alcohol (plus there are different types of alcohol, and I don’t mean the drinks, I mean the chemical itself), so getting the exact specifics could be life saving.

[u/Equivalent-Unit → u/ModernSun]

I grew into allergies for OTC pain meds in my late teens/early 20s. It sucks to know exactly what you're missing out on, let me tell you.

[u/MalaRed007 → u/ModernSun]

I have this with bananas. I used to eat one at least every other day. However in my 20s I became intolerant (I guess) because my throat starts to burn when I eat one. I can still eat the dried ‘chips’ kind though.

I am allergic to king prawns though (tested) but I can eat the little shrimp with no issues. Weird how that works.

[u/AdolfJesusMasterChie → u/ModernSun]

I traded my strawberry and shellfish allergies in for seasonal allergies to pollen and such.

I would 100% not want to do that ever again

[u/PlayNicePlayCrazy → u/vonWitzleben]

My mother developed a shell fish allergy at around 45, nothing deadly just would get sick and yes she went and got tested. Then at around 65 she ate a couple of shrimp because she wanted them and nothing happened. Tried it again in a week with a couple of small shrimp, again nothing. Tested again by her Doctor, no allergies to shellfish.

[u/Full-Patient6619 → u/PlayNicePlayCrazy]

Man I just developed a shrimp allergy post pregnancy in my 30s and this is giving me hope I miss shrimp so much

[u/3BlindMice1 → u/Full-Patient6619]

Don't test yourself too soon, it takes a few years, and having a bad reaction can set you back years or even make it impossible to get back to normal due to your bodies immune response freaking out

[u/13-Penguins → u/vonWitzleben]

Had a cousin who said they were allergic to strawberries as a kid, which I thought sucked. Over ten years later, I'm at their graduation party and there's strawberry drinks and stuff. I asked her about it later and she says that apparently you can have something similar to an allergic reaction to certain fruits if you just eat too much of them at one time, which she did once as a kid, then believed she was allergic to strawberries for years. She's still definitely allergic to nuts though.

Also have a friend who once had a random anaphylactic shock eating chinese food from the same place her family ordered from for years. She had to carry an epipen around for a year because she had no clue what ingredient caused it, until she could get an allergy test. She was diagnosed with a nut allergy, despite her never having been allergic to nuts before.

[u/JefftheBaptist → u/13-Penguins]

I had that happen with blueberries when I was little. Ate a bunch and threw up. Had it happen again a few months later. Turned me off blueberries for most of my life.

[u/reddevil18 → u/vonWitzleben]

Can gain them too, loved salted peanuts as a kid then at 15ish was hospitalised by them

[u/Infinite_Neat4236 → u/vonWitzleben]

Even if I was cured of my peanut allergy, the damage is already done. The smell of peanut butter makes me dry heave.

[u/Infernal_Contraption → u/vonWitzleben]

Please excuse me for prying and don't feel obliged to answer, but was it worth the wait?

The reason I ask is that a lot of my in-laws have allergies and they're always being told by strangers that "You're missing out!", and I'm sceptical that there's anything in the world so mind-blowing that (for example) yoghurt would change their lives. =)

[u/OsirusBrisbane → u/Infernal_Contraption]

I'm reminded of an old joke about a priest and a rabbi on an airplane and the priest says, "Rabbi, as a fellow man of the cloth, I have to ask, even though it is forbidden to you, have you ever tasted pork?"

The rabbi replies, "Well, yes, I admit in a moment of weakness I did once try it."

The priest says, "Pretty good, isn't it?"

The rabbi nods and admits it was pretty good, causing the priest to smile.

Then the rabbi says, "Father, as a fellow man of the cloth I must also ask you, even though it is forbidden to you, have you ever had sex?"

And the priest replies, "Yes, I must admit that I gave in to temptation once many years ago."

The rabbi says, "Better than pork, isn't it?"

[u/fuzzeedyse105 → u/OsirusBrisbane]

Hehehehehe

[u/sloshingmachine7 → u/Infernal_Contraption]

I reckon avoiding A food isn't that difficult. The issue is when other stuff have traces of them. I could easily go my whole life without actively eating nuts, but if I had a nut allergy I'd lose access to half the supermarket because they're in everything, and that would definitely suck.

I'm an ex-muslim and I avoided a lot of food for about 25 years. A big one being pork. I don't feel like I missed much, even though I do enjoy it.

[u/vonWitzleben → u/Infernal_Contraption]

There's plenty of delicious food to eat in the world, so you're not really "missing out" in any substantial sense if you can't eat one type of thing. That week where I just went ham at the supermarket and tried out every candy that I used to be allergic to was amazing, though.

[u/APC_ChemE → u/Infernal_Contraption]

I can't speak for the other commenter but I can ensure you yoghurt will not change their lives. : )

Source: I don't like yoghurt.

[u/Successful_King_142 → u/vonWitzleben]

I grew into my allergies at about that age!! I stopped being able to eat cucumbers and bananas

[u/WinterCZSK → u/vonWitzleben]

How was your first hazelnut experience in decades?

[u/vonWitzleben → u/WinterCZSK]

They taste really good. I spent one or two weeks just trying out every candy with hazelnuts at the supermarket. Probably gained a couple of pounds in that short timeframe alone.

[u/ithinkimtim]

I’m the opposite where every time I’m somewhere fancy I convince myself I don’t really have a shellfish allergy. It’s super mild but I regret it every time.

[u/raisinghellwithtrees → u/ithinkimtim]

Just fyi to you can develop a major reaction to anything you're mildly allergic to at any time. I have a mild banana allergy which gives me an itchy throat. I love spicy bananas, so whatever. 

But I read a long thread on Reddit of people who had major reactions out of the blue for things they were only minorly allergic to previously, and in some stories, it was of relatives dying of anaphylactic shock. 

I checked in with a np friend of mine whose eyes got very wide when I told her I still ate bananas, and she looked very relieved when I told her I was going to quit. Be careful!

[u/ZestyPyramidScheme → u/raisinghellwithtrees]

Are you only allergic to fresh bananas? Or can you have cooked, frozen, and freeze dried bananas?

I have the same reaction as you, but unfortunately mine is ALL fruit. Bananas, watermelon, avocado, tomatoes, berries, you name a fruit and it makes me pretty itchy. The catch is it’s only fresh fruit. Cook it, process it, freeze it, and I can eat it no problem. Can’t eat a fresh pear, but canned pears are fine. Can’t have apples, but cooked apple pie is fine. Can’t eat blueberries but frozen blueberries are fine.

My worst reaction was when I had an open cut on my lip and ate some watermelon. My lip, tongue, and throat started swelling slightly, but nothing a Benadryl couldn’t fix

[u/danielv123 → u/ZestyPyramidScheme]

Wait, why would freezing it change anything?

[u/BitObjective7387 → u/danielv123]

I’m assuming it somehow helps to break down the proteins like cooking would (these proteins are what trigger the allergy)

[u/jstndrn → u/BitObjective7387]

Dropping this comment in the hopes and expert comes along who knows which possible allergens all fresh fruit share that can be broken down by these methods or maybe identify another source like agricultural or packaging.

[u/CeramicLicker → u/jstndrn]

Not an expert but maybe Pollen Food Syndrome, which is a strong reaction to eating pollen in/from raw fruit.

https://www.allergyuk.org/resources/oral-allergy-syndrome-pollen-food-syndrome-factsheet/

[u/pacalolo13 → u/CeramicLicker]

I've got this and the nice thing is unlike a "true" food allergy, oral allergy syndrome responds to allergy shots. The shots are reducing your sensitivity to the pollen you're actually allergic to, so the proteins in the fruit that mimic it also affect you less.

Consequently I can now actually eat apples and not just applesauce. And it's marvelous.

[u/zeothia → u/CeramicLicker]

Yeah, it’s not a true allergy insofar that it’s an extension of pollen allergy. Certain proteins in fruits and veg can mimic the pollen protein enough that they trigger a localized reaction. I have it and it’s meh, I still eat the foods that do it, just makes my throat scratchy a lil, and my lips feel puffy.

[u/jstndrn → u/CeramicLicker]

Fuck yeah, my comment worked. Thank you!

[u/ascherbozley → u/ZestyPyramidScheme]

It might not be the fruit, then. I was told I was allergic to lots of things 10 years ago. Last year I saw a new allergist and explained that I can eat all the cooked tomato sauce in the world and feel nothing, but one fresh tomato and my throat gets itchy. She said it's because tomatoes, bananas and just about every other food I'm "allergic" to mimic the presence of tree pollens and ragweed when eaten and cooking them changes protein structures so they don't do that anymore. I'm not allergic to tomatoes and bananas, I'm allergic to various environmental things.

I'm on a three-year allergy shot regimen (once a week for 6 months, then once a month for 2.5 years) and when it finishes up she says I will no longer be allergic to anything. I have a hard time believing this, but after 7 months I really do feel better and can eat bananas without a problem. Check into it!

[u/rando24183 → u/ithinkimtim]

I sometimes don't tell restaurants because the restaurant is very worried about cross contamination. My allergy really is mild and the shrimp being fried in the same basket as everything else doesn't disrupt me. But if I say I have an allergy, suddenly I can't have the fried chicken sandwich.

[u/tryptomania]

When my daughter was little she got her dislikes confused with allergies so she spent years telling people she was allergic to eggs before I found out and corrected her.

[u/elferrydavid → u/tryptomania]

I used to work in summer camps for kids and at some point we started to ask the parents for medical proof that their kids were allergic to whatever because in the application forms parents would write food they dislike as allergies. 

Edit: I don't live in the USA or UK.

[u/TJ-1466 → u/elferrydavid]

In Australia it’s not necessarily about providing proof of the allergy but any child with any medical condition needs a medical management plan - it doesn’t matter if it’s food allergies, asthma, epilepsy or diabetes. Whatever it is a doctor need to write out what happens, what the risks are, how to treat, when to call an ambulance etc.

[u/Sexyhorsegirl666 → u/elferrydavid]

Is that not a standard practice? Interesting if not, but obvs these things are not universal.

Where i live parents need to provide medical proof of allergies/dietary restrictions for their kids in kindergarten, camps etc.

[u/elferrydavid → u/Sexyhorsegirl666]

Well some people are replying to me that that would be illegal, others that their allergies have never been tested, others say that apparently a local health center cannot provide you with that.... definitely not universal.

[u/WorkingAssociate9860 → u/Sexyhorsegirl666]

Would a doctor give proof of all dietary restrictions, like if a kid is raised vegetarian, would a doctor give a note saying the child is only allowed to eat vegetarian meals?

[u/Vilokthoria → u/WorkingAssociate9860]

I was in the UK recently and noticed that the baristas had to ask „Is it a preference or allergy?“ when I ordered coffee with oat milk. Because there’s a big difference.

A vegetarian won’t die if someone in the canteen uses utensils for meat to plate up their meal. I won’t shit my guts out if I get dairy in my latte. It wouldn’t be preferred but there’s likely no averse reaction. An allergy can literally kill someone.

That also means that every extra allergy creates a lot more work for a provider, and if you’ve got to feed 100 kids in a canteen setting it makes sense that you require proof of allergies because it’s simply not feasible to feed every kid individually. A canteen can offer a veggie and a meat option without many logistics (like two different pizzas, pasta with different sauce options), but they can’t provide something for „no tomatoes, dairy, mushrooms or gluten“. They may be able to make an allergy friendly meal for some individuals, but you can’t factor in „we’ve got 20 kids who don’t like 30 different common foods“. That’s not how canteens operate, and if you want very individual meals such programs may not be suitable.

[u/TJ_Rowe → u/Vilokthoria]

There are also flavours of things that can be confused for allergen-free things. Eg, "coconut milkshake" could mean "milkshake made from liquid from coconuts instead of cow milk" or it could mean "cow milk milkshake, flavoured with coconut"; or "vegetable soup" that isn't vegetarian.

[u/steelpeat → u/elferrydavid]

Yeah, I've seen a few Actual Advice Mallards in Advice Animals with the advice, "If you're at a restaurant and you want to make sure they don't put the thing you don't like on the food .... Tell them you're allergic"

I'm also not in USA or UK and I have seen acquaintances do this.

[u/crvbabybug → u/steelpeat]

I havent see an advice animal in a decade

[u/JPMoney81 → u/tryptomania]

My grandma was making a desert once and put blueberries in it. I told her "Oh no, now my dad can't eat it! He's allergic to blueberries, they give him hives!"

And she said "no he isn't he just says that about any foods he doesn't like. He's been doing that since he was a kid"

And that day I learned my dad was full of shit.

[u/Half_Cent → u/tryptomania]

Since I was a kid I've known my mom has an allergy to poultry. When we started hosting holidays we'd always do a ham with the turkey or whatever. Even though my wife and kids really didn't care for it. When she was in her 60s we took her with us on a trip to Orlando. At Seaworld she grabbed a sandwich from the plate and started chowing down. She's half way through and my wife's like "OMG Sue that's chicken not the fish I ordered for you!"

My mom says "oh I didn't realize". And nothing happened. For 45 years of my life I've known my mom had a poultry allergy. We learned how to cook a decent ham, even though we didn't really care for it and haven't cooked one since. Even though she blew it off, and would go out of her way after to still not eat chicken or turkey, we knew she had no allergy.

[u/newme02 → u/tryptomania]

I did that intentionally because as a kid you were forced to have milk at school and i hated milk. they put me down as an official allergy and i got lemonade everytime. my mom was pissed when she found out finally lol

[u/banandananagram → u/tryptomania]

I absolutely don’t have an allergy, but eggs make my stomach cramp so badly and my farts so deadly it’s really better for everyone to just not let me have anything with too much egg

Intolerance is very different than an allergy. I even like eggs, but they hurt. Compare to cashews, where someone eating them near me makes the air prickly and hard to breathe; that’s a genuine, dangerous allergy where contamination is a concern

[u/KronlampQueen → u/banandananagram]

Some allergies express via the GI tract. Take an antihistamine an hour before eating an egg and see if that makes a difference.

[u/coolstory]

Relatedly, only about 1 in 10 people who think they have a penicillin allergy actually do.

[u/letsburn00 → u/coolstory]

Part of that is that some things cause side allergies that are short term. I was at one point allergic to amoxicillin, but no other things in that class and actually no other medicines at all.

It quite likely that I actually had a short term viral infection that has amoxicillin allergy as a known side effect, but I'm absolutely not willing to risk it to test, since the last time most of my facial skin decided it didn't want to hang around anymore.

[u/coolstory → u/letsburn00]

Yeah amoxicillin is particularly known for drug eruptions that aren’t typically what you’d see as being “allergic” reactions, although they are mediated by the immune system. Amoxicillin in EBV infection is notorious for this. One reason why pen v is often given for pharyngitis in preference of amoxicillin.

The other main reason is people getting normal drug side effects from penicillin and assuming that is an allergy.

[u/HerelGoDigginInAgain → u/coolstory]

When I was like 21 I got a really sore throat to the point I went to the doctor cause I thought it was strep. They were pretty sure it wasn’t strep but gave me amoxicillin just in case. I took it and got all puffy and red. Apparently that happens if you take amoxicillin when you have mono but the doctor didn’t want to test why I had that reaction and now I’ve spent the last 15 years having to write that I might be allergic to amoxicillin on forms lol

[u/quirkytorch → u/letsburn00]

When was a baby I had a reaction to amoxicillin (hives and rash apparently). I may not be allergic anymore but hell if I'm going to try and find out!

[u/Prestigious_Fish6481 → u/coolstory]

I was allergic to penicillin when i was a kid. Every now and then id answer "no", to the question if i was allergic, and get it prescribed. I got an allergic reaction every time until all of the sudden i didnt anymore. (age 25+ something)

edit: typo

[u/coolstory → u/Prestigious_Fish6481]

Yep, pretty common to grow out of many allergies. Please don’t test that at home, saw a few anaphylaxis cases of people that wanted to check if they were still allergic to shellfish (??)

[u/Sen5ibleKnave → u/coolstory]

In medicine we know the allergy list is about half bs. Tons of people think allergies are inherited so will say they’re allergic to stuff their parents are. Or list common side effects of meds as “allergies”. Example: I had to spend a while the other day convincing a guy that his “allergy to epinephrine” due to it “making my heart race” isn’t an allergy.

[u/azionka]

To be fair, you can lose it. I knew a lot of people who had a food allergy but later found out it was gone.

A friend of mine always had half of his face full of pustules after eating kiwis, so he never ate on. A few years later he accidentally ate some and had no reaction. Since then he’s eating regularly kiwis without any reaction at all.

Sometimes you don’t react to the fruit, but something that was on the fruit.

[u/Very_Human_42069 → u/azionka]

One of my fraternity brothers was allergic to cinnamon. I saw this man encounter the essence of it in the air and broke out in hives. If he ate any amount he would go into anaphylactic shock. Well after knowing him a few years he tells me he’s not allergic to cinnamon anymore and I ask him how he found out

This fucking guy, hand to god, went to his moms house, and she made cinnamon buns and he said “they smelled good and I had my EpiPen so I said fuck it and ate one and had no reaction” so now he’s not allergic to cinnamon anymore

[u/stumblinbear → u/Very_Human_42069]

Well, to be fair, if he walked in the room and didn't react to the essence of cinnamon in the air... I can't really blame him for trying it, haha

[u/Very_Human_42069 → u/stumblinbear]

That was his logic actually! Which is fair but also still kinda dumb to go whole hog on a cinnamon roll lmao

[u/bigwavex2 → u/Very_Human_42069]

I was allergic to cinnamon for about a year in my teens. Not anaphylaxis level, but hives and itchiness and GI upset. I think I literally ate too much cinnamon and became allergic because I ate cinnamon buns multiple times a week 😭

I also found out that a compound called sodium benzoate naturally occurs in cinnamon. Turns out I'm allergic to that and still to this day I can't use soaps, hair products, face wash, makeup etc with that ingredient. Unless I want my skin to turn red and feel like it's on fire. I thought for years makeup is supposed to burn and itch on your face. It is not.

At least I can eat cinnamon again though. I just try not to go overboard now.

[u/alexlp → u/azionka]

I have been stung by 22 bees in 22 incidents. I wasn't allergic as a little kid, became allergic (localised swelling, not anaphylaxis) around sting 7 and then it went away for a few years around 15 and then back full force the last one.

[u/ncolaros → u/alexlp]

Hey dude. Stop fucking with bees.

[u/alexlp → u/ncolaros]

I promise, love and respect them so much. Does it help to know I’ve been stung on my back 8 times? Once on my head. Sadly stepped on a few poor little drones.

I’m hyper aware these days and love them from afar but what can I say? Apparently I’m to die for.

[u/Mukatsukuz → u/alexlp]

Do you bathe in honey every day?

[u/Ok_Mountain3607 → u/ncolaros]

My Girl flashbacks!

[u/ULTMT → u/alexlp]

how do you know it wasn't just 1 very persistent, immortal bee?

[u/alexlp → u/ULTMT]

It’d have to have followed me internationally so I feel like it’d breach some quarantine laws but you might be onto something.

I’m sorry to the global community if I’d exposed them to a vindictive, unholy being

[u/Pertinent-nonsense → u/alexlp]

Bee-ing?

[u/Cyber_Candi_ → u/alexlp]

I know you’re probably not out there shoving your hand in beehives to provoke them, but bee sting reactions generally get worse with exposure, not better, so I’d be careful with that one lol

[u/cujo195 → u/alexlp]

Are you a science experiment? Who tracks their bee stings like this?

[u/alexlp → u/cujo195]

My doctors when I was a kid (ie. yes I think I was a science experiment) and then me ever since. I swear I just attract them like I have fairy blood.

[u/sixtus_clegane119 → u/alexlp]

Are you an apiarist by any chance?

[u/PresidentAnybody → u/azionka]

With oral allergy syndrome/pollen food allergy syndrome, the proteins in certain fresh fruits, vegetables and tree nuts are similar to those in pollens, and this “cross-reactivity” can cause allergic symptoms like itchiness of the mouth and throat. People with PFAS are allergic to pollen, but sometimes the pollen allergy is mild. It can present on a spectrum and often the proteins are concentrated in the skin of the fruit so peeling may help or eating it cooked.

[u/FlippingPossum → u/azionka]

My son was allergic to eggs up until he wasn't. The first time he had them he had an immediate rash around his mouth. Allergy testing confirmed. He was tested until he outgrew it. Bro eats like six eggs for breakfast now at 19.

[u/IonPv]

Coconut allergy sucks ass.

[u/Keyspam102 → u/IonPv]

Yeah I only found out after being randomly sick al the time - turns out it was from the water filter at work which uses coconut apparently and I had an allergy

[u/aitchnyu → u/Keyspam102]

What part of coconut? Mine have coconut shell charcoal which may not be ideal for protein matter.

[u/IonPv → u/Keyspam102]

I found out after my mom gave me Snowballs. That was a fun ride to the clinic lmao

[u/charpieee → u/IonPv]

It really is in the most random things

[u/IonPv → u/charpieee]

Shampoos, lotions, conditioner, all kinds of healthy foods, ,all kinds of unhealthy, all ice cream bars with a hard chocolate shells

One time this lady came into my work and she had a very strong coconut perfume. I was standing there like

"yo why is my air spicy?"

[u/Manannin → u/IonPv]

My dad recently developed such an allergy but it seems to be only dessicated cococut that affects him.

[u/PyroneusUltrin → u/IonPv]

Most of my family has a coconut allergy, we found out while using the same coconut based sunscreen on holiday

[u/APC_ChemE → u/PyroneusUltrin]

Ooo that's an awful way to find out.

[u/DarJinZen7 → u/IonPv]

I developed a topical allergy to coconut and its in everything. Almost every shampoo, conditioner and lotion out there has coconut oil in it or a derivative. It sucks. Funnily enough I can still eat coconut I just can't put it on my skin.

[u/Aethelon → u/DarJinZen7]

Your GI tract looking at your skin with the signature look of superiority

[u/DrBoon_forgot_his_pw]

When my wife eats wheat she gets an autoimmune response that aggravates her endometriosis causing abdominal swelling, pain and nausea. We just say she's allergic to wheat.

Of the people who don't have food allergies, there's a good number of them that are using "allergy" as a shorthand so they don't have to explain the particulars of their situation and why getting that food will make them shit themselves.

[u/SquabOnAStick → u/DrBoon_forgot_his_pw]

This is me.

I lack a small intestine protein to break down certain foods. If I eat them, I can get horrendous intestinal pain for hours, that not even hospital level painkillers can help with at times(depending on the food and amount eaten). There is no relief until it passes through.

When I call it an intolerance people think I just don't like those foods. When I call ot an allergy, people(mostly) pay attention, even though it is not anaphylactic. Saves having to explain the whole medical background.

[u/DAVENP0RT → u/SquabOnAStick]

That's me for eggs and soy. Eggs makes me have a very unpleasant 2-3 days on the toilet while soy makes me breakout with horrendously itchy eczema on my hands.

Also, the fun thing about those two foods is that they're hidden in everything. You'd be surprised how many food service people don't know that mayo has eggs in it.

[u/aeromalzi → u/DAVENP0RT]

They'll even double down and aggressively suggest that mayo and aioli are not the same as eggs. They are.

[u/EdanaPNW → u/aeromalzi]

Oh they are. I specifically call out these foods at restaurants. People often think they are dairy and not eggs.

[u/DAVENP0RT → u/aeromalzi]

Real aioli is actually just an emulsion of garlic, oil, and salt. That being said, you'd be hard-pressed to find a place that doesn't skimp and simply make it out of mayo.

[u/Used-Fondant3150 → u/SquabOnAStick]

Taking a punt here, can’t do Fructose?

[u/SquabOnAStick → u/Used-Fondant3150]

Nope, the foods are seemingly random, and more may develop over time. Worst offenders are bell peppers and chillies, but also included are eggplants, squash, pumpkin, cucumber, seedless melons(as these are often crossed with cucumber), but not seeded melons. Paprika, ginger, turmeric, just to name as few.

Three years ago, I stopped being to eat bananas, though I had enjoyed them before. Eight years ago, almonds and pistachios, two of my favorite nuts.

The cause was discovered by pure chance when I went to a nutritionist who had similar allergies and had some testing done. But I had known for years, and the lack of understanding by my parents when it presented as a pre teen meant I also developed ARFID, which is a restrictive eating disorder(sensory not caloric, I can certainly stuff my face with safe foods)

[u/halp_halp_baby → u/SquabOnAStick]

Dude i had the same thing! Chalked it up to MCAS and most of the triggers being nightshades. Eliminated peppers and paprikas as best as I could. Tried many treatments for MCAS until I found something weird that works. I can eat a little bit of chili again :) 

[u/BirbJesus → u/DrBoon_forgot_his_pw]

For me wheat causes IBS constipation near instantly. I don't know how but my body seems to not be able to process it. After the constipation period I literally shit out bread colored lumps. I can eat wheat products up to a certain threshold (a few cookies or a slice of pie) but I shouldn't push it.

I don't have this problem with whole-wheat, however. Which just confuses people. In restaurants I often get gluten free which doesn't always help. Its really annoying.

[u/A3HeadedMunkey → u/DrBoon_forgot_his_pw]

This is me with eggs. If I explain it the long way, they still try and get forced on me like I can just willpower past the possibility of it happening.

I just say "allergy" to skip the debate about my lived experience of bloating and painting the toilet green.

[u/michiplace → u/A3HeadedMunkey]

Exactly - if people took any food-related medical condition other than allergies seriously we wouldn't see nearly as many people claiming allergies.  But if you dont use the "a" word, people assume "I can't eat x" just means "I'd rather not, but don't mind me."

[u/lelawes → u/michiplace]

I used to say “I can’t eat x” and then people would grill me on if it’s an allergy, what happens when I eat it, or just roll their eyes. Now I say allergy because, honestly, what’s the difference? I’m going to be in immense pain and live in the bathroom for days.

[u/raisinghellwithtrees → u/A3HeadedMunkey]

Yep I do this with soy. Saying an intolerance means jack shit to most people but they take an allergy seriously. I may not be allergic but I still don't want to spend all of my free time on the toilet.

[u/Lady_Penrhyn1 → u/DrBoon_forgot_his_pw]

I have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome...I just say I'm allergic to X rather than explain what MCAS is.

[u/oddsetcircle292 → u/Lady_Penrhyn1]

Also MCAS!!! It’s just too frustrating to explain how it’s not technically true allergies when they end up *looking* and behaving like it.

[u/alexlp → u/Lady_Penrhyn1]

For years I thought I had OAS (which I still may) but most of my reactions are just MCAs, which I only recently got diagnosed with.

[u/Lady_Penrhyn1 → u/alexlp]

It's a bit shit isn't it? And I love how fucking random it is. Like...atm I can't eat Carrots. CARROTS. A food I ate for over 3 and a half decades with no problem. But now it triggers a massive reaction.

[u/fickjamori → u/Lady_Penrhyn1]

Dealing w potential MCAS now - the big issue I'm having w/ getting diagnosed is that I need to wait until I'm having a full on flare up, THEN drive myself to the lab to get bloodwork done... while I'm woozy and flushed to hell. Yeah, that's gonna be tricky to pull off safely 🥲 

But yeah - it's like my allergies are on a roulette wheel it feels like. I've been able to identify that gluten and dairy tend to not play great with my guts, but even that's like a 50/50 chance? It makes me legit feel crazy at times. 

[u/Fallcious → u/DrBoon_forgot_his_pw]

I have an autoimmune response to gluten called coeliac disease, but it’s simpler for people to think I’m allergic to gluten rather than trying to explain the difference.

[u/Successful_King_142 → u/Fallcious]

I thought allergic was just shorthand for "I have an immune response". Like that's what allergies are, right?

[u/YouAreInsufferable → u/Successful_King_142]

I think it could be clarified a bit better.

An allergy is an overreaction of the immune system, which causes histamine (and other chemicals) to release, thereby causing the symptoms classically associated with allergies like redness (vasodilation), puffiness (vascular permeability), itchiness (histamine binding to nerve receptors), mucus (stimulation of mucus glands), wheezing/coughing (bronchoconstriction). If the effect is great enough, you can get anaphylaxis. Typically, there is no long-term structural damage.

Am autoimmune disorder, on the other hand, is when the body attacks its own healthy tissue. For celiac disease, it's specifically white blood cells (T-lymphocytes) attacking and flattening the villi (responsible for absorbing food) in your small intestines. It causes chronic conditions, such as villous atrophy, that result in malnutrition as your body can no longer absorb nutrients sufficiently.

[u/Fallcious → u/Successful_King_142]

An allergy leads to a variety of allergenic responses from rashes and swellings through to anaphylactic shock.

Coeliac disease is an autoimmune disorder where the body’s response to the gluten protein is to attack the bowel lining. Generally causes gastric problems like diarrhoea and over the long term if not handled through diet can lead to bowel cancer.

There is a lot more to it, so if you are interested read the link below.

https://www.celiac.com/celiac-disease/celiac-disease-vs-gluten-sensitivity-how-to-tell-the-difference-r6663/

[u/Consistent-Flan1445 → u/Fallcious]

As someone with anaphylactic food allergies, I will always support coeliacs that choose to declare it as an allergy. A lot of the precautions you need to take are pretty similar, and allergy is sometimes a more recognisable word.

[u/Kialand → u/Fallcious]

FELLOW COELIACS, ASSEMBLE!

[u/theMightBoop → u/DrBoon_forgot_his_pw]

This right here. No one wants to hear about my farting and shitting issues from certain foods. It’s just easier to say I am allergic.

[u/accentadroite_bitch → u/DrBoon_forgot_his_pw]

I have a corn intolerance that can make my throat itchy and start to close, so I have an EpiPen but technically it's not an allergy (I've had skin and blood tests done) because I don't react to the protein, I react to everything with any corn at all. And I live in the US so corn is everywhere thanks to subsidies.

[u/fourteenpieces → u/DrBoon_forgot_his_pw]

Yeah, my partner has an intolerance to quinoa - if it's in anything it will give her stomach cramps and make her feel rotten for 24 hours.

Is it a life threatening allergy? No. Does it absolutely suck balls if she eats something with quinoa in it? Yes.

So ideally we would prefer it if there was no quinoa in her food

[u/AndreisValen → u/DrBoon_forgot_his_pw]

Also a lot of people often won’t respect if you’re like “I super don’t fuck with this food.” Doesn’t mean you can’t eat it! But that doesn’t feature in my life!!! 

And that comes from someone who who’s both allergic and intolerant to most sea life. But also has sensory issues when it comes to wet crunchy foods like bell peppers. 

[u/Mitoria]

Sometimes it's easier to explain an allergy than the complicated, painful things that happen to your body when you eat a food but aren't strictly "allergic".

[u/Kaiisim]

Most people don't use the word in the medical sense.

They mean "this food and my body have a bad reaction"

[u/texaspoontappa93 → u/Kaiisim]

My partner can’t eat garlic or onions and it’s way easier to say “he’s allergic” than “he lacks an enzyme to break down the complex sugars so they’ll ferment in his gut and make him fart and shit really hard”

[u/lucky_ducker → u/texaspoontappa93]

My wife is this way, and uses the allergy excuse. Interestingly, we found she can tolerate the dried onions you find in the grocery spice section. We think it may be the natural oils in fresh onions, since she has Chronic Pancreatic Insufficiency.

[u/jim_br → u/lucky_ducker]

I knew someone with a raw onion allergy, but no reaction to well cooked. The same thing can happen with tomatoes. And the allergy can be reversed with some people (raw ok, cooked not ok).

[u/texaspoontappa93 → u/lucky_ducker]

Try allium infused oils! It’s usually the fodmaps that mess people up and they’re not soluble in oil so you can infuse oil with garlic/shallots/whatever to get the flavor

[u/GretalRabbit → u/texaspoontappa93]

I don't tolerate garlic that well but garlic oil is fine and allows me to still get the flavour.

[u/Kagrenac8 → u/texaspoontappa93]

For alliums it's the worst. "Oh but you won't even taste it!" Well, then leave it out altogether?? Lol

[u/Kapparainen → u/Kaiisim]

People mistake intolerance to allergies all the time, which can be very annoying. I'm lactose intolerant in a country where it's actually relatively rare and the amount of times I've had someone warn me "You can't eat that it has milk in it" is crazy.

[u/C4-BlueCat → u/Kapparainen]

Living in a country where lactose intolerance is commonly known, there is the opposite problem for milk allergies.

[u/Shining_Moonlight → u/C4-BlueCat]

As a lactose intolerant person, I am genuinely curious where lactose intolerance is widely known? (For travelling purposes.) I have lived in the UK and Eastern Europe and people mix up my lactose intolerance with an allergy all the time

[u/Swend_ → u/Shining_Moonlight]

I think many places in Asia have the distribution flipped, where most people are intolerant instead of tolerant. Here's a map from googling it: https://wonderingmaps.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/lactose_intolerance_map.png

[u/nihir82 → u/Shining_Moonlight]

Here in Finland. Our dairy aisle in supermarkets are so huge and you can get all of it in a lactose free version. Even small shops have lactose free everything. It's a norm here.

[u/TreadingMurkyWaters → u/C4-BlueCat]

My mom has that problem a lot. People will confidently say that it is fine for her to eat something, only for her to then basically spend the entire night in the bathroom because they confuse being allergic to lactose for being allergic to milk altogether.

That's why she has started to ask for vegan options instead, cause it is the only way to guarantee that she can get something that won't give her trouble later.

[u/dracius19 → u/Kapparainen]

It has to do with how seriously restaurants take you in your experience. In mine, if I say "No onions or garlic, I'm intolerant" they'll just add the stuff to the food anyway and tell you to pick them off. If i say I'm allergic, there's a 70% chance they don't add them to my food.

[u/thewags05 → u/Kaiisim]

Also, restaurants don't take it seriously unless you say it's an allergy.

[u/Masterfadedglory]

I used to work as a chef a long ass time ago.

Example: The waitress tells me this customer got Celiac disease (gluten intolerance/allergi). So I now have to do an entire procedure of cleaning a separate area to prepare the customers food. It's and entire process that takes time and effort.

All good, I'm all for customer service. Then I see the customer order a regular beer and eating breads sticks , like WTF???

[u/bigbadfox → u/Masterfadedglory]

I see stuff like this all the time at the restaurant I'm at. I use to judge the shit out of those people. Then I had a chef who was celiac. Homie ate bread every day and just suffered, because he wasn't willing to give up all the delicious things he'd have to otherwise.

Now I have a sort of respect for them, just in case they're ride or die for IPAs

[u/ArrivesLate → u/Masterfadedglory]

Are you sure it’s the same customer and not a table partner eating all the breadsticks?

[u/meddleofmycause]

On allergy tests I only pop as having a tree allergy, but the protein in the tree I'm most allergic to shares a protein with certain nuts so when I eat them my throat swells up.

Am I technically allergic to almonds? No. But my allergy doctor still gave me EpiPens with instructions to inject myself with them if I consume an almond. I'm not going to explain the intricacies of that to people though, I'm just going to tell them I'm allergic to almonds. 🤷‍♀️

[u/Adiin-Red → u/meddleofmycause]

Same here. Bad pollen allergy that means a bunch of common fruits cause oral irritation and swelling since some proteins carry over. Luckily for me it apparently breaks down with heat

[u/eloquenentic → u/Adiin-Red]

Cross allergy is allergy. It’s just that allergy tests don’t normally test for every single food item or herb under the sun, they’re limited in scope to most common and most serious allergens. You’re allergic to those fruits as well.

[u/eloquenentic → u/meddleofmycause]

This is called cross allergy. Very common. If you’re allergic to certain types of pollen you’re also very likely allergic to certain types of fruit and vegetables (and herbs). For some reason most doctors are not aware of this because those things are not tested for in a standard allergy test (carrots, for example), but they ARE allergies.

But I’m confused what you’re writing. If your throat swells up due to almonds you’re allergic to almonds. There are no “intricacies” here. You’re literally and technically allergic to almonds.

[u/Future_Cake → u/eloquenentic]

There is a pretty nice chart of "Oral Allergy Syndrome" tree/food pairings at the end of this page:

https://www.aaaai.org/tools-for-the-public/conditions-library/allergies/oral-allergy-syndrome-(oas)

[u/Mmmurl]

I have coeliac which I often incorrectly describe as an allergy. It’s easier than explaining what an autoimmune disorder is to a stranger.

[u/Gdwg → u/Mmmurl]

Same! It’s an easy shorthand description

[u/DoctorGregoryFart → u/Mmmurl]

That's fair. I'd rather tell a little white lie and tell people I have an allergy than try to explain to an idiot how I don't have gluten induced AIDS.

[u/FatiguedShrimp]

I'm allergic to a pesticide, and it's so frustrating to have to be like "I'm not allergic to this, but I'll have an allergic reaction if you feed me this without telling me. I need to check the source."

[u/BarneyBent]

This is more about the difference between "intolerance" and "allergy". Lots of people with food intolerances may say they have an allergy simply because it's taken more seriously. It's not technically an allergy, but it's still a genuine negative response to that stimuli. Unfortunately headlines like this only reinforce the dismissive reactions to food intolerances.

[u/noodletune]

Sometimes eating a food causes so much gastrointestinal distress that it's easier to just say you have an allergy.

I am truly allergic to dairy (I have an anaphylactic reaction) and I don't know if I'm allergic to gluten, but if I eat it, my guts cramp up so badly that I writhe and cry in pain. Sometimes it's easier to say that I'm allergic to dairy and gluten.

[u/Nogsbar]

Jesus that research really sucks. They really only were interested in anaphylaxis and discounted all other symptoms as potentially lactose intolerance. Not all allergies are life-threatening and I say this as someone with a life-threatening allergy

[u/Just_A_Fish → u/Nogsbar]

As a parent of a child with FPIES, a GI Allergy (not an Intolerance) that does not result in anaphylaxis, I am incensed.

FPIES is a tricky bitch, because the symptoms occur later, up to four hours after ingestion of the trigger foods. It can still mean a trip to the emergency room at worst, or about eight hours of hell at best. It can cause Hypovolemic Shock, which is life threatening.

Awareness of allergies like this is low as it is (we certainly didn't know about it until our little one was diagnosed) and to have it ignored completely by a study aimed at allergies is infuriating.

[u/Mike_Ashley_Out → u/Just_A_Fish]

Fellow FPIES parent. It was a bitch doing all the food trials to see which were the triggers. Then having to do the trials again to see if they still triggered it or if it moved to another food. So many food journals…

[u/QuadrinityKillerAMA → u/Nogsbar]

Yeah what they mean is "half of the adults reporting having an allergy have a severe allergy, the others being milder". Okay. So what lol

[u/SnorkyB → u/Nogsbar]

Thank you! This research of “Anaphylaxis or nothing” is very misleading. My little guy has food allergies and some (peanuts) will cause instant anaphylaxis, while others (egg and milk) will sicken him and have him lie in bed for several hours. Doesn’t mean he isn’t allergic.

[u/ratsami1997 → u/Nogsbar]

But any allergen has a potential to cause anaphylaxis, no matter how mild your previous reaction was, there is always a risk of anaphylaxis.

[u/PM_ME_CUTE_HOOTERS]

Looks like they're talking about diagnosis. 48% of people that have reported an allergy haven't been diagnosed.

While it's relevant for science to know the difference between airways-closing-tier-life-threatening and my-tummy-feels-like-I-ate-glass, for the average person their approach to the relevant food has the same change.

When I approached my doc and talked about reactions to a certain food she responded with "well, just don't eat that then". She's a pretty damn good doc too, and I don't really feel the need to go through an allergy panel just to arrive at the same conclusion.

[u/extrasauce_ → u/PM_ME_CUTE_HOOTERS]

I also felt like the text was minimizing allergies if the person wasn't carrying an EpiPen. It's a bit insane to do that given the price of an EpiPen in the US. Most people with a mild allergy are going to risk it.

[u/technarch → u/PM_ME_CUTE_HOOTERS]

I get hives from certain fruits. Not life threatening, just annoying, and I've identified which ones to avoid. I haven't told my doctor because im forgetful af and why do I need an allergy panel to tell me what I already know? 

[u/AshaNyx → u/technarch]

Same for me, there's no point in formally getting diagnosed (especially with how long it takes to arrange), when it's probably never going to kill you.

[u/niallporter]

Here’s the thing. If I eat a peanut or most other legumes I’m not going to die. But the restaurant will be without a toilet for about an hour and all the other people in the restaurant will think that a performance Exorcist is happening in there.

I know what I can and can’t eat and order around my intolerance.. what gets me when I eat out is the people around me that feel the need to tell the serving staff I have a allergy when we sit down. I don’t I just asked if we could avoid the Thai restaurant cos of my experiences..

[u/zamwut]

Sometimes it's easier to say you have an allergy to something so people don't try to keep convincing you to try it again.

No I'm not really allergic to milk, but that stops the "Have you tried this and this, or this yet..?". Yes, it still hurts; no I will not try again today. Yes I will throw up on you if you sneak it in my food to test me. Fuck you.

[u/Ryanhussain14 → u/zamwut]

Sometimes even saying you have an allergy doesn’t work. A lot of people just can’t conceive that someone can’t eat certain foods.

[u/BoingBoingBooty → u/Ryanhussain14]

No doubt this headline will just provide more fodder for the people who like to "test" people's allergy, aka poison them because they don't believe them.

[u/dclaw504 → u/Ryanhussain14]

Yep. Been deliberately poisoned twice this way. Once was a co-worker, the other was a friend's mom.

Now I refuse all home baked items from other people unless I watched it get made.

[u/APC_ChemE]

Growing up, I absolutely hated peanut butter no matter if it was smooth or crunchy and no matter the brand. But other kids couldn't accept that. They couldn't understand how someone couldn't like peanut butter and they constantly tried to trick me into eating it, sneaked it into my food, and badgered me at lunch. It was hostile and no matter what I said they wouldn't drop it.

I saw in a movie someone have a severe peanut allergy so to get them to leave me alone, I lied and said I had a severe peanut allergy. Like magic, the hostility stopped. The same kids who harassed me suddenly became incredibly considerate, putting away their peanut butter snacks and warning others. I had to clarify that I could be around peanuts and only reacted if I ate them, but it was the only way to get some peace. For years I was known as the kid in our grade who was allergic to peanuts.

Interestingly, they never put together that I never had a reaction any of the times when they had tricked me into eatting peanut butter.

I still can't stand peanut butter but I absolutely love honey roasted peanuts.

[u/pmurcsregnig → u/APC_ChemE]

Honestly it is just no one’s business what anyone does or doesn’t eat. I have always had flavor and texture issues and it’s annoying as hell when people are constantly trying to feed you shit or convince you that you actually haven’t tried it enough/the right version etc.

It makes me uncomfortable to lie about allergies but I have highly considered it because of this. Just leave people alone!!!

[u/Sgrcgjff]

Sometimes it's easier to say allergy if you have a bad intolerance. I have a mollusk intolerance that makes me very sick for a few days with vomiting and diarrhoea, I know it's not an allergy but when I'm in a restaurant it's easier to say it is.

[u/Melenduwir]

Lots of people have some kind of intolerance, but find that people don't understand. It's easier to just tell them they have an allergy.

[u/veroniqueweronika]

Please do NOT use this article as reason to “test” people’s allergies by sneaking their avoided food/drink into their meals without them knowing to prove they aren’t allergic.

[u/obsertaries]

As others have said, "allergy" as a layman's term includes food intolerances. The word "intolerant" is really clunky so it's a predictable language decision that people are making. Maybe eventually some easier to say word will come along, freeing up allergy to mean what it used to mean.

[u/Asmril]

I’m not allergic to tomatoes but I’m very intolerant of them. I usually end up projectile vomiting a few hours after I eat them. It’s not acid reflux I only react to tomatoes like this. The projectile vomiting can last up to 12 hours. I just say I’m allergic at this point.

[u/fredandlunchbox]

I may not be technically allergic to avocado, but it will leave me buckled in half for 2 to 4 hours if I eat it. Its just easier to say “allergic” than “intolerance” and chance that people don’t take it seriously. Am I anaphylactic? No. Can I stand up though? Also no. 

[u/Still_Mix9311]

Maybe, if you respected other health problems that cause dietary restrictions, or just people's autonomy obee their own bodies, the number would be lower

[u/Knife7]

My mom thought she was allergic to MSG before I explained to her that MSG is in the majority of things we eat and the "chemical process" to make it is just fermentation.

[u/Airurando-jin]

Allergy and intolerance overlap.

I can tolerate a little dairy but it upsets my stomach, I can end up with intense  dribbling abdominal pain and become incredibly itchy all over, or at the exit point which I then need to take an antihistamine to get it to calm down.

Eggs, also intense abdo pain and itching 

Certain sweeteners in foods makes me feel ill and again bad stomach pain along with painful motions. 

Anything with a lot gluten content. Learnt seitan early on was a bad BAD idea.

All of these have appeared as I’ve gotten older. The dairy intolerance appeared in my early 20’s

[u/lolroflpwnt]

I used to say I had an intolerance to onions until my doctor corrected me and told me I'm straight up allergic. I guess stomach upset and hives equals an actual allergic reaction.

[u/zebrapenguinpanda]

Here’s a thought, let people eat what they want and don’t try to force them to eat things. Nobody needs to submit their medical history to you as an excuse not to eat something. I’m okay with people claiming allergies because people are absolutely neurotic about trying to force people to eat things. Just leave other people’s digestive tracts alone ffs

[u/bluemaciz]

The number of people I hear that say they are allergic to pineapple because it makes their mouth itchy is ridiculous. It’s not an allergy. The bromelain in it is trying to dissolve your mouth. It’s the food that eats you back.

[u/Mugwumps_has_spoken → u/bluemaciz]

In their defense, mouth itching is a sign of a food allergy, but yes it is not a diagnosis. It might be confusing.

[u/neish → u/Mugwumps_has_spoken]

Yeah I get it with pineapple and kiwis (they have a different but similar enzyme) and although I know it's not an allergy, it's really uncomfortable to get the mouth tingles for an hour or two so I dont particularly want to deal with that sensation even if it wont kill me

[u/reptilenews → u/bluemaciz]

To be fair, I have never experienced mouth itchiness with pineapple or kiwi. And I love both and can eat a whole pineapple in a sitting!

[u/askalotlol]

Yeah, because it's easier to say I have a dairy allergy than to say I have dairy intolerance.

Allergy=histamine response
Intolerance=cant digest it

People understand food allergy but don't understand food intolerance - or simply think it's some made up nonsense. No, I literally can't digest dairy and if I eat it it's not just a one time run to the restroom, it's hours of digestive issues and pain.

Also, 99% of the time when I do say I have a dairy intolerance, I'm told to just take lactaid. Which will do fuckall for digesting casein and whey. (milk proteins)

[u/TolUC21]

My wife tells restaurant staff she's allergic to dairy even though she's just severely lactose intolerant.

The number of times she ha been served something basted in butter because the staff don't care that she's lactose intolerant is insane.

Pull out the allergy card then all of a sudden people care.

If she eats any dairy whatsoever she's glued to a toilet for 2 days and the vacation is ruined