Bananas photo via istock. You toss a banana in your lunch bag. You leave it in there all morning. Then, when break time finally comes, you discover the inevitable: Everything, from your sandwich to your pretzels, tastes and smells vaguely of banana. What gives? We asked Vinay Mannam , an assistant professor of food science and chemistry at Framingham State University, for answers. To Read the Full Story. Subscribe Sign In.
Continue reading your article with a WSJ membership. Resume Subscription We are delighted that you'd like to resume your subscription. Please click confirm to resume now. Sponsored Offers. This can be a problem for some workers who handle food products such as bakers or coffee bean roasters , or those who work with food additives. These people have an increased risk of developing occupational asthma. Most exposures occur through the inhalation of dust, steam, vapors, and airborne proteins that are produced in the process of cutting, cleaning, boiling, or drying foods.
Some people may have an immediate reaction when they smell a particular food that is not due to the inhalation of food particles, but rather the way that their brains process a particular smell. In this case, the reaction would not be considered a true allergy.
If someone has an allergy—especially a severe food allergy—and smells that particular food being cooked, their brain may immediately register a warning.
The subsequent anxiety could, in turn, lead to physical symptoms such as an increased heart rate. Anxiety can cause the release of stress hormones and adrenaline in a "fight-or-flight response. When in doubt, it is crucial to assume someone may be having an allergic reaction and pursue emergent medical care as needed, rather than to think their reaction is related to anxiety and miss treating life-threatening anaphylaxis.
A different scenario exists in which allergies to inhaled antigens such as birch pollen cross-react with antigens in food such as apple proteins.
This particular reaction, birch-apple, is an example of an oral allergy syndrome. Oral allergy syndrome has been noted between several airborne allergens and food allergies. Some of these include ragweed and watermelon, grasses and potato, and mugwort and carrots. Beyond eating and inhaling food particles, it's important to note that allergic reactions may also occur in response to skin or mucous membrane contact with even a small amount of an allergen.
It's also worth pointing out that if you're pregnant, your sense of smell is heightened and you may experience aversions to certain foods or food smells especially during the first trimester. Unfortunately, allergic disease is increasing.
If you suffer from any allergies such as these, make sure to see an allergist. It's even more important to know whether or not you should have an Epi-Pen available in case of an anaphylactic reaction.
Get one simple hack every day to make your life healthier. Allergic reactions to foods by inhalation in children. Allergy Asthma Proc. Clin Mol Allergy ; 7, 4. Cartier A. The role of inhalant food allergens in occupational asthma. Curr Allergy Asthma Rep. Position paper of the EAACI: food allergy due to immunological cross-reactions with common inhalant allergens.
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