Banana allergy: symptoms and treatment

Banana - food for Russia is not historically peculiar. Bananas never grew even in the southern regions of the country.And even though the Russians have been eating it for quite some time and in considerable quantities, the question of their allergenicity for adults and children remains open.

Everything that we eat, drink, inhale, can be divided into three large groups: high, medium and low allergenicity. This means that some products often cause inadequate reactions of the human body, others rarely, and still others almost never cause unwanted immune effects.

Banana allergy is an inadequate immune response to certain components of the product, usually the tryptophan contained in the product. It is this substance that can be perceived by the body as foreign, and therefore potentially dangerous. Immunity activates defense mechanisms to help a person, protect him, and on the physical level, this is manifested by certain symptoms.

The prevalence of an allergic reaction to bananas is small - only 1.5% of allergy sufferers experience this form of illness. An allergy develops once an antigen has triggered a reaction of immune cells. Simply put, a man eaten by a banana, like other food, in the stomach breaks down into components, and certain antigens in the composition can get into the bloodstream. Under certain circumstances, immune cells will destroy the antigen, after which, already familiar with the threat, they form a whole colony of cells whose task is to destroy just such an antigen. If a person eats a banana again, then an allergic reaction develops.

Since a banana is a product of medium allergenicity, we can safely say that its composition contains not such a large number of substances that may be antigens. In the composition of the berries (and banana is a berry from a biological point of view) tryptophan dominates. During digestion, this amino acid can ferment, turning into serotonin - the hormone of joy. There are few vitamins in the composition, among them leaders are vitamins of group B. Therefore, it is difficult to call the product just useful, but at first glance there is no harm from it.

An allergic reaction to serotonin or tryptophan is more rare than the rule. This suggests that the allergy is not caused by the composition of the berry, but by the methods of its processing, which are used to preserve exotic delicacy. The banana must be preserved in a marketable form, transported and sold, and for this purpose use some chemical substances. This product, as already mentioned, is initially alien to Russian open spaces, and the digestion of a Russian of any age does not differ in the abundance of enzymes for the effective splitting of just such products. Similarly, according to such a scheme, allergic reactions to potatoes are developed by the inhabitants of the Polar region, while residents of the southern regions have a historical propensity for inadequate reactions to the “northern” berries - cloudberries, lingonberries, etc.

The third reason for the development of banana allergy is the combination of berries with highly allergenic products. Russians have a tradition of adding a banana to a chocolate mousse or cake, serving it in an orange sliced ​​mix, or mixing it with nuts. Allergies to these products are much more frequent, and if the reaction initially occurs on a nut, the immune cells “remember” the second component of the dish - the banana. Therefore, the next time, the reaction to a banana, eaten separately, is not excluded.

Manifestations of an allergic reaction to bananas are in many ways similar to the classic allergic reactions. And the clinical picture depends on the age of the lover of exotic berries.

Banana pediatricians are allowed to add to the diet of infants from 5-6 months of age. Many postpone the moment of acquaintance of the baby with the product up to 8-9 months.And it is clear that after the introduction of complementary foods, mothers peer more closely at the crumbs - whether the product causes a negative reaction or not.

Allergies in infants are most often manifested by skin rashes of varying intensity. If the child kept the banana in the handles, and the reaction arose on the means to preserve the berries in the form of a commodity, the rash and redness can capture and hands, and cheeks. It is not excluded rash on the chest, back, bottom. On the stomach and legs, an allergic rash appears much less frequently.

The abdominal reaction is quite widespread when the baby reacts to a banana antigen with diarrhea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Distinguishes such pain from another lack of precise localization, the pain spreads all over the abdomen, and it is difficult to determine where the child has more pain. The baby begins to cry, sleeps worse, may refuse to eat.

With the respiratory response, which happens to bananas most rarely, after 15 minutes the child begins to nip, as the mucous nasopharynx, oropharynx develops. Laryngeal edema (angioedema) may develop, and this is a very dangerous form of allergy.

In children who have emerged from infancy, very often cross-allergy develops, in which the reaction occurs first to a banana antigen and then to other substances that are similar in their molecular and chemical structure to the primary antigen. It means that Not only bananas themselves can cause inadequate body reactions, but gluten, wheat, kiwi, melons, avocados, and even latex, which are similar in a number of ways at the cellular level.

Symptoms of a "banana" allergy in children are most often in the nature of eating disorders with loose stools, nausea and vomiting. Rash on the type of urticaria and erythema (redness) appears somewhat less frequently than in babies. Abdominal pain is usually localized in the stomach or around the navel. Vomiting will depend on the amount eaten - the more the child consumed bananas, the stronger the seizures will be. If there is diarrhea, then in the fecal masses of a child with allergies there are multiple mucous fragments. The rash usually appears on the elbows, stomach, in the groin.

Banana allergy in adults is a rare occurrence. It may be a rash, pain in the abdomen. At the same time, the pain is weak, almost imperceptible, localized in the epigastric region. Sometimes adults develop respiratory reactions - allergic rhinitis or cough. The first signs in an adult, unlike a child, can appear within a few hours after eating a banana for food (in children, the reactions are faster). If the voice began to disappear, laryngeal edema develops, the nose and lips become swollen, you should immediately call an ambulance and give first aid.

Immediate relief for allergies should be provided by those around him. And this should be done before the arrival of the Ambulance, if the allergy is lightning, life-threatening, the so-called allergy of the first type.

Noticing a quick reaction, which is manifested by severe weakness, a drop in blood pressure, fainting, nausea, swelling, one should call an “emergency room”. Without qualified medical care, a person may die.

If the swelling began, you need to remove all the clothes that can put pressure on the neck - a shirt, a scarf. Open the window, provide fresh air.In case of anaphylactic shock, if it develops, lay the person on a flat surface, turn the head slightly on the right or left cheek, or lay it on its side so that the patient does not choke on vomit if it becomes very sick.

If a severe reaction has developed in a child, keep in mind that he is very scared. Act calmly, do not shout, do not panic, try to calm the child. Bring him outside so he can breathe fresh air before the medical team arrives.

It is important that the allergen (the putative antigen, in this case a banana), is not around. Sometimes it is reasonable to induce vomiting in order to rid the stomach of the undigested residues of dangerous food. This is especially true for children, because they have a reaction before, and the remains of a banana, in any case, is still in the stomach. Adults may experience an allergy attack later, and it is not always reasonable to stimulate vomiting.

If the reaction is not of the first type and is manifested by a rash or intestinal disorders, it is not necessary to call an ambulance. You can visit the doctor and get advice on treating the effects of sensitization.

Prevention of allergies to bananas in a child must be dealt with before the baby is born. That is why pregnant women, especially in the second and third trimester, are contraindicated in the use of foods with a high allergic status. You should know that parents suffering from any form of allergy, much higher chances to produce a child with allergic "tendencies". But even if mom and dad eat bananas beautifully and are not allergic to anything else, this is not a reason to eat whatever you want during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

To the issue of prevention of re-allergy, if it is already identified, should be approached wisely. Sometimes it seems that an allergic reaction manifested itself precisely on a banana. In fact, the reason for the inadequate reaction may lie in something else, the effect of which simply coincided in time with eating a banana. That is why it is important to consult an allergist, even if the allergy is minor. The specialist will help determine the specific antigen and name the list of products that should be excluded from food in any form, because the best prevention of food allergies is the absence of provoking food in the diet.

General recommendations for the prevention of allergic reactions in adults and children are as follows:

• Try to eat as little as possible of products containing dyes, preservatives, flavors;
• in the diet of people prone to any food allergies, there should be more products with calcium, selenium, magnesium, vitamin A;
• it is necessary to treat all arising problems with the stomach and intestines in time and correctly, this significantly reduces the likelihood of primary sensitization;
• Uncontrolled intake of immunostimulants and immunomodulators should be avoided (especially for parents who give such drugs to their children for the prevention of influenza or ARVI in the cold season).

There are bananas without fear is possible only if you yourself tore them where they grow.Unfortunately, everything that is on the shelves of Russian stores and markets, one way or another processed chemical compounds for long-term storage. Therefore, it is wiser to buy green bananas that are small in size, which then ripen in your home in a completely natural way without exposure to chemicals.

The safest tropical berries will be that:

• do not have a ribbed shape;
• have a matte and smooth skin (gloss - a sign of recent exposure to chemicals).

It is allowed to have dark spots on the peel, this does not mean that the berry is spoiled, but you should not stock up such bananas for the future - they should not be stored for long.

The safety of the use of the product depends on how to store bananas. In no case should they be stored in the refrigerator, as most Russians think (and do). The optimal temperature for a banana is 7-10 degrees Celsius. This means that in a dry, darkened room, a ripe banana will retain its beneficial properties longer.

If you buy immature bananas, they are stored at a temperature of 12 to 17 degrees Celsius. In such conditions, the berries ripen faster. If you bought a bunch of bananas, do not separate them from each other. The bunch is stored longer.

Entering a banana in the diet of the child, you should start with a small amount, increasing it gradually, if the negative reaction does not occur. To reduce the likelihood of allergies to this food product, you should not mix a banana with chocolate and cocoa, nuts, cereals, citrus. In this case there will be no additional food immune provocation.

If you already have an allergy, then you should not worry. A banana does not belong to essential products, it is not indispensable, and it is perfectly possible to live without it, the quality of life will not suffer in any way. If you are allergic to the product in children, you should not rush to conclusions - in 90% of cases children “outgrow” allergies, because their immunity becomes stronger over time and the fact that a negative reaction to a banana at 3 years does not mean that at 16 years old teenagers will not be able to use Food this product is completely calm and safe.

About the benefits and dangers of bananas, see the video below.