More People Allergic To Fruits, Vegetables - WBZ

More People Allergic To Fruits, Vegetables - WBZ

BOSTON (WBZ) ―

Eat your fruits and vegetables.

That's the message we hear over and over again if we want to stay healthy.

But now some adults are finding they have allergic reactions to produce they have eaten safely all their lives.

All it took was a common plum to send Salmaan Bokhari to the emergency room.

"When you can't breathe, it's like the most horrible feeling the world," he said.

Salmaan had never had an allergic reaction to plums as a child.

Dr. Mary Kay Tobin, an allergy specialist, is seeing more of these cases.

"There's something different in the environment that has caused these changes in the plants, in the fruits and vegetables," she said.

One theory is plants are changing as they cope with climate change and new pesticides.

The American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology believes that some patterns may be emerging.

For example:

* Some people who are allergic to ragweed are developing sensitivities to melons and bananas
* Those allergic to grass could exhibit an allergy to tomatoes and oranges
* Some people allergic to birch pollen could have reactions to potatoes, carrots, celery, and apples.


Dr. Tobin says up to half of the people who suffer from a pollen allergy could, at some point, develop some type of allergy to a fruit or vegetable.

She says, "They're stunned because this really just didn't occur to them."

The symptoms for this type of allergy can be an itchy or burning sensation around the lips, mouth, or throat.

Some reactions, like Salmaan's, can be fast and severe.

You shouldn't hesitate to get medical attention if you think you could be having this type of allergic reaction.

Some of Dr. Tobin's patients reported fewer problems if they bought organic produce, or cooked their vegetables before eating them.