Allergy to sweets in adults

Can adults be allergic to sweets?

How often have you encountered the fact that after eating a chocolate bar or a cake, the skin began to turn red, itching or a rash appeared? “Ay, probably, the allergy poured out!” you think, and you promise yourself to give up dessert after dinner. But it can also be difficult to completely do without sweets – the mood can deteriorate. Many people note that after eating a piece of chocolate, their working capacity increases. But what to do if you are allergic to sweets?

Doctors say that sweet cannot cause a true allergy, since sugar (more precisely, its main element is sucrose) is not an allergen. An allergic reaction can be caused by individual components of sweetness, which contain substances of a protein nature. It is also worth distinguishing true allergies from pseudo-allergic reactions.

Sweets are rarely the cause of allergic reactions. Allergy is a reaction of the immune system to substances of a protein nature. Sweet consists more of carbohydrates, so it is not necessary to talk about allergies here. Most likely, when people experience redness or peeling of the skin, burning, itching and other unpleasant symptoms after sweets, we are talking about the so-called pseudo-allergic reaction. A pseudoallergic reaction is similar to an allergy, but it is not. The main difference between them is the absence of an immunological component, that is, a reaction occurs, but there are no antibodies – specific class E immunoglobulins (IgE) to any component of sweets, explains allergist-immunologist, Ph.D. Anatoly Bala.

How does an allergy to sweets manifest in adults?

As we have already found out, sweets in themselves do not cause true allergies, but due to their multicomponent composition, they can still cause an adverse reaction of the body. It all depends on which component and in what quantity is contained in the dessert. The reaction itself can also be very different – it’s not just redness of the skin, itching or a rash. A pseudo-allergic reaction can manifest itself in the form of frequent sneezing, runny nose, headache, tearing and swelling of the mucosa. The rash can be localized on any part of the body – the face, abdomen, buttocks, or cover the entire body. With a large number of rashes, the temperature may rise. Often pseudo-allergic reactions are reflected in the work of the gastrointestinal tract.

If a true allergen (peanuts, nuts, soy, shellfish particles) is present in the composition of a sweet dish, then the reaction of the body can be very violent – up to suffocation, anaphylactic shock, which in turn can lead to death.

How to treat an allergy to sweets in adults

Since the sweet itself rarely causes a strong reaction (again, if there are no components in the composition – true allergens), then no treatment is required. If you are still worried about itching and a rash, then you do not need to self-medicate – run to the pharmacy and buy all antiallergic drugs, this is a reason to consult an allergist.

Diagnostics

– If we assume a true allergic reaction, then the main task is to search for those very specific IgE. If they are found, then we can talk about allergies. If they are absent, and a person notices that there is a dependence of the degree of symptoms on the amount of food eaten (dose-dependent effect), then it is a pseudo-allergic reaction that can be assumed. Sometimes such products contain the same histamine or substances that can cause the release of histamine and body cells (tyramine, phenylethylamine, serotonin). Also, similar symptoms can appear if a person does not have enough enzymes (for example, histaminase) to process these substances.

The main task of the doctor at the reception is to determine the direction of the search for the diagnosis of food allergies to the components of the dish, after eating which a person has symptoms or to draw a conclusion about the pseudo-allergic nature of these symptoms, the allergist-immunologist emphasizes.

Modern treatments

– Again, it is worth emphasizing that sweet is a carbohydrate, not a protein, so it does not cause a true allergy. Therefore, there is, in fact, nothing to treat here – it is necessary to determine the dose of such a product that is safe for humans. If we are talking about food allergies, then an elimination diet is prescribed (excluding foods to which a reaction occurs or cross-allergic reactions may occur, cross-contacts during cooking are excluded when an allergenic product comes into contact with other foods). No contact with the allergen – no reaction, that’s, in fact, all the methods of treatment.

If there are any symptoms requiring treatment, the doctor may prescribe medications depending on the extent and severity of the allergic reaction. If this is a slight itching or redness that does not cause any discomfort, then even without medication they can go away on their own after a while.

If the symptoms are pronounced, antihistamines or hormonal drugs are prescribed to relieve severe itching, irritation and swelling.

The doctor emphasizes that self-medication and the use of any medications without consulting a specialist can lead to serious consequences.

“This is fraught with side effects of the drugs themselves, chronicity of the disease, lack of effect and distortion of the clinical picture, which complicates the diagnosis by the doctor,” emphasizes the allergist.

Prevention of allergies to sweets in adults at home

Control the amount of “sweets” you eat. It is logical that the less chocolate, cakes, sweets you eat, the less chance of an allergic reaction. When buying or ordering a new exotic dessert in a cafe, always ask about its composition.

Try to diversify your dessert menu. It is better to eat a couple of sweets, a piece of chocolate, two or three waffles and marshmallows (of course, not in one meal!), Than a few bars of chocolate. Try to choose desserts that contain allergens and histamine liberators to a minimum – for example, marshmallows, marshmallows, marmalade.

A healthy lifestyle, of course, is not a panacea for allergies at all, but it will strengthen the immune system and the body as a whole.

Popular questions and answers

Frequently Asked Questions about Sweet Allergies allergist-immunologist Anatoly Bala.