You look at a dish lovingly, take a bite, feel its taste meandering through your taste buds, and the next thing you experience is itchiness and bumps in your mouth? Agonized and stunned, you wonder what happened? Well! It’s a classic case of oral hypersensitivity or oral allergy syndrome. What is it and how does it affect you? Read on the article to know more.
What is Oral Hypersensitivity?
Sometimes, your immune system turns Aunt Dilemma. It fails to distinguish between pollens and proteins in different food items. Consequently, it overreacts, causing itching, rashes, bumps, stinging, and swelling in the mouth. Your lips and throats are also likely to get affected. Hypersensitivity reactions range from mild to life-threatening, and typically begin immediately after exposure to the allergen.
What are the Types of Oral Hypersensitivity Reactions?
Plasma cell gingivitis: Does the word “gingivitis” ring a bell? Yes, it’s a gum disease, and plasma cell gingivitis too affects gums. Though it does not cause ulcers, redness and swelling of gums are common.
Stomatitis: Swollen and red lips, cheek, and roof of the tongue characterize this disease. Some people may also experience ulcers and of blisters. Stomatitis also causes mouth sensitivity and a burning sensation, making it difficult to eat hot, cold, and spicy foods.
Angioedema: It starts as a soft, non-itchy, and painless, swelling that affects cheeks, lips, and tongue. However, these symptoms may worsen in no time and require emergency treatment. If the swelling reaches to the larynx, severe breathing difficulty occurs.
Lichenoid reactions: Similar to lichen planus, lichenoid reactions manifests in the form of lesions that are slightly raised, white, and have a lace-like pattern. Sometimes, ulcers form within the lesion with a whitish outline. Lichenoid lesions commonly affect the buccal mucosa but may spread throughout the mouth.
Erythema multiforme: The symptoms of erythema multiforme include mouth lesions that begin as redness and swelling of the oral mucosa. Then, blisters get formed, swelling increases, and these blisters may develop become crusts that bleed. The typical feature of this disease are concentric rings within the areas of normal colored skin (see Right). Erythema multiforme can affect both mouth and skin, and may require hospitalization in severe cases.
Who Gets Hypersensitivity?
Straight answer, everyone! Oral hypersensitivity can affect people of all ages. However, younger teens and adults are more susceptible to these. Generally, people experience mild reactions that go away in sometime. However, some individuals may experience moderate to severe symptoms, and may need immediate medical attention. In a few cases, you may have oral allergy but you may not know it until symptoms become noticeable.
What are the Symptoms of Oral Hypersensitivity?
Symptoms differ from person to person. However, here are a few common symptoms of oral allergy.
- Blisters in the mouth
- Lesions with or without borders
- Swelling
- Redness
- Itchy gums and throat
- Irritation in the oral mucosa
- Shortness of breath
- Nausea
- Hives
- Vomiting
- Dizziness
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Tightness in the chest
- Anaphylaxis
What Causes Oral Hypersensitivity?
Oral allergy has many causes such as food types, dental appliances, oral hygiene products, and certain types of drugs.
Foods
Several foods can trigger and allergic reaction. Some ill-famed foods are:
1. Walnuts
2. Cashew nuts
3. Almonds
4. Hazelnuts
5. Banana
6. Avocado
7. Kiwi
8. Mango
9. Tomato
10. Potato
11. Milk
12. Eggs
13. Fish
14. Soybeans
15. Sea Food
Foods flavored with cinnamon, menthol, peppermint can also trigger allergic reactions in predisposed individuals.
A distinct type of oral allergy you should be aware of is “Latex Fruit Syndrome”.
Individuals with an allergy to latex products may experience it after consuming fruits with a thick, particularly leathery peel. These include avocados, bananas, fig, kiwi, papaya, melon, and pineapple. Inform your dentist about this issues Dentists generally wear latex gloves while performing dental exams. Inform your dentist beforehand if you are allergic to latex. You will not want to come back with blisters and rashes when all you wanted was to experience the finest cosmetic dentistry in San Diego.
Drugs
It is difficult to pinpoint which drug can cause an allergic reaction in the mouth. The best solution is to contact your doctor as soon as you notice adverse effects after drug intake. Besides, once you know the chemicals or medications that trigger allergic reactions, note those down and read labels to check their presence in any medications that will be prescribed to you henceforth.
Dental hygiene products
Yes! Sounds contradictory but oral hygiene products such as toothpaste and mouthwashes can make your dental hygiene go for a toss. They contain ingredients like eugenol, clove, menthol, peppermint, and cinnamon that are potential allergens. Even denture cleansers and dental floss may have hypersensitivity-causing ingredients.
You may learn by trial and error and switch to home remedies for maintaining oral health to minimize the possibility of hypersensitivity. However, note that ‘herbal’ or ‘chemical free’ does not always mean it is 100% allergen-proof.
Dental materials
Dental appliances are made of different types of materials, which can set forth an allergic reaction. For example, Some individuals develop an allergy from metals in amalgam (silver) fillings, bridges, braces, and crowns. Other common culprits are acrylic or plastic in dentures; bonding agents; composite restorations; impression materials; rubber products, varnishes, and rubber products.
How to Identify if its Oral Hypersensitivity?
First, the symptoms appear immediately or about an hour after eating a food item. The second way to determine if the reaction is caused by an external source is visiting a doctor. They will ask a few questions, check your medical history, and may order a few allergy tests to identify what’s causing hypersensitivity reactions.
How to Prevent Oral Hypersensitivity?
The only way out here is to determine the trigger and avoid it. However, if the reaction is mild, does not cause you significant discomfort, and goes away within a few days, you may consult your doctor if you can continue eating the allergen-containing foods. Prefer well-cooked food over raw veggies and fruits as heat breaks down the proteins that cause an allergic reaction. However, it is not true for all the food types.
Has oral hypersensitivity led you to give up on your favorite foods?
Comment and share your thoughts.