Swollen lip after eating fruit. How long until eat again?

[Unfit]

DD (12) ate some fruit the other day and one side of her top lip swelled up. That was in the morning, she ate some again in the afternoon around 4 and the same thing happened again. She has in previous years eaten it without any issue although this is the first time she has eaten it this year. She, like Ds and I, has hayfever. It didn't itch, she didn't have anything inside her mouth, or any itching inside her mouth, just the top lip on the left side.

I bought 1 kg, she must have eaten at least 1/3 over the day.

How long before you'd let her try to eat again?

I wouldn't. I'd try for allergy testing. You don't know how bad the reaction could get.

Have a look at 'oral allergy' online - this can happen with some fruits.

For me I left it years - as each reaction was getting progressively worse. Though did find I could eat it cooked.

It was shoved in my mouth in loving fashion by one of my toddlers and I was fine - and then tried it again and had no issues since.

I’m not sure why you’re in a rush to let her have it again. You’ve already demonstrated that she reacts to it by letting her have it again on the same day as the first reaction.

A swelling in or near the mouth can be exceptionally dangerous. If her throat swells she will suffocate. You should take her for an allergy test.

My son had the same thing happen last week and I had to go to school to give Piriton. We don't know the trigger, although he did have a slight cold so we don't know if that had anything to do with it. GP has referred to an immunologist for testing to be on the safe side. I had wondered about fruit (he may or may not have eaten pineapple).

Avoid fruit until she’s cleared by the doctor. Each successive reaction could become more and more serious and it can be deadly. I’m so sorry she’s dealing with this!

What was it?

I wouldn’t. I was hospitalised after eating pineapple as I thought I’d “just try it again”. The reaction was truly awful.

@Compash that's interesting reading up.

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

Having uncontrolled or reactive asthma

My asthma had been finally diagnosed and I was on inhalers by time I had the fruit again - they said in end I'd probably always has asthma - exercise induced in teen like DD1 it had likely just got worse.

If it was strawberries I would go and speak to her GP as it's a well known serious allergy. Don't let her eat them anymore until she's been to see one.

I'd avoid it. DS couldn't eat strawberries as a small child - he had an instant rash. We left it years before he tried one again and it was fine.

It may be a reaction to residual pesticide on the fruit if it's not been thoroughly washed, but I wouldn't risk washing it and trying a third time. Allergic reactions escalate.

It was bananas for me and my GP at time was completely uninterested - just said avoid them. Worth trying especially as allergies are taken more seriously now.

DD1 has reaction to carrots - think that was linked to local pollen - she'd eat them and end up with a rash -number of people who insisted it couldn't be a thing was just odd.

In my experience, the GP will just tell you to avoid the fruit, as allergies often worsen with exposure and you've already proved it wasn't a one-off.

For now, at least, she's allergic to the fruit and should avoid it. She may grow out of it in time.

My little sister was allergic to peas. She'd eaten them fine for ages, then had one incident of her bottom lip swelling for an hour or so after she ate them. She ate them again a couple of times, no reaction at all, and then randomly had a reaction so badly she was hospitalised for four days.

It was cherries, but it that reminds me it also happened the last two times I bought baby carrots and I've always bought them for picnics ever since she was small. She did get blistering/rash with hazelnuts when she was a toddler but the GP said to choose either to feed it to her in small doses or avoid completely. (I avoided them, DH gave her them and now she eats them/chocolate no problem)

Carrot - http://research.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/informall/allergenic-food/index.aspx?FoodId=14

We thought it was mugwort pollen related - for DD1 lots of it near our then house but don't remember having issue with celery or spices at the time though and it persisted even with cooked carrot dishes.

Interesting though we moved and she improved with age but next child DS eczema flared same time every year - and when we looked at that it likely birch pollen. We moved again - DH work - and that stopped happening but can't say for sure it if was pollen in air or soft water in area or just getting older.

Reading above though it could have been mugwort of birch pollen - though by mid childhood she was fine with raw or cooked carrots.

They have fact sheet on cherries
http://research.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/informall/allergenic-food/index.aspx?FoodId=19

It's suggests birch pollen again there - Birch pollen range in UK usually given as late March to mid-June - though site below say different.

https://www.allergyuk.org/birch-pollen-and-allergies/#:~:text=Birch%20pollen%20season%20usually%20peaks,late%20May%20or%20early%20June.

I'd still probably avoid if for a bit.

I have oral allergy syndrome with tree pollen which sounds similar to your DD. My tongue swells up with a variety of raw foods. I avoid them during pollen season, there's always other food that I can eat that will give the same nutrients without the discomfort.

Met a lady on holiday who had a severe banana allergy. She told me latex allergy frequently goes alongside banana allergy.

I've been lucky then - no issue with latex and banana allergy gone away.

https://www.anaphylaxis.org.uk/fact-sheet/banana/

Looks like it can be either Pollen food syndrome or Latex food syndrome - no idea why GP was so disinterested.

DC orthodontist developed latex allergy it was miserable for them and they did warn us it could force their early retirement with impacts to kids treatment. .

I've worked out that I'm allergic to birch pollen based on the list of fruits that make my tongue and lips tingle and my throat start to close. The advice I've read says not to keep trying the fruit as the reactions will increase in severity. I can eat cooked versions of the fruits, as the cooking process breaks down the proteins which trigger the reaction.

My 17 year old was told by two different GPs that there would be no allergy testing for her despite her lips swelling as a reaction to the following;

Fresh apples
Peaches
Plums
Nectarines
Almonds
Uncooked carrots

Told to avoid, take antihistamines and it's probably oral allergy syndrome.

I have a child with anaphylaxis to certain foods, it's just not worth risking again as the Doctor at the hospital did say you can have a subtle reaction a couple of times then you can get the full on anaphylactic shock reaction the third time
Believe me it's frightening

DS who is 18 and has bad hayfever (has had to be taken by ambulance to A&E before struggling to breathe) has started having bad reaction to watermelon

I've spoken to the GP's office. Avoid for now until she's had an appointment (end August).