Is It Possible You Have A Kiwi Allergy? What You Should Know

One of the more common food allergies that people do not know much about is an allergy to kiwis. Kiwi fruit are quite popular in fruit salads and many dishes, especially in combination with strawberries. The problem is that many people could have a kiwi allergy without realizing it until they have a severe reaction. And even then, if the kiwi is mixed in with something, they might not recognize the issue right away. Get to know more about having a kiwi allergy and what you can do about it. Then, you can be sure to work with an allergist to manage your kiwi issues. 

Reactions to Kiwi Can Start Off Mild

There are many reasons that people do not always recognize a kiwi allergy. One of those reasons is that the reactions a person experiences to kiwi can start off very mild in nature. A person might, for example, have a slightly itchy tongue after consuming kiwi. Or they could develop slight nausea. These symptoms can easily be brushed off or attributed to something else leading a person to remain oblivious to their allergy. 

Reactions to Kiwi Can Escalate Fast

Another issue to keep in mind with kiwi allergies is that those mild symptoms can quickly become severe ones. One day you can eat kiwi and just experience a mild reaction and the next you could go into full anaphylactic shock (unable to breathe or swallow). This is why awareness of mild symptoms is so important. If you notice the allergy early, you can seek out medical care right away. 

Latex Allergies and Kiwi Allergies Are Related

A sign that you may have a kiwi allergy actually lies in another common allergy problem. If you have a latex allergy, you are much more likely to have an allergy to kiwi. This is because compounds in latex are also found in kiwi fruit. In fact, bananas and avocados also contain these same compounds and often coincide with a kiwi and/or latex allergy. 

Allergy Testing Can Tell You For Sure

If you have noticed some of these mild kiwi allergy symptoms after eating or drinking something containing kiwi fruit, you may want to find out for sure whether or not you have a kiwi allergy. That way if you are allergic, you will be able to avoid contact with kiwi in the future or even get an epinephrine auto-injector to address emergency situations in which you may come into contact with kiwi. 

The way to find out if you have a kiwi allergy is to go to an allergist for allergy testing. The doctor will use small liquid suspensions of the things you might be allergic to and will use a needle to get them just under the surface of the skin. If you have any allergies, the place the suspension was injected will develop redness and/or slight swelling. Having this test will diagnose your allergies and help your doctor know how to proceed with management and treatment. 

Knowing these facts about kiwi allergies, you can take care of yourself as well as possible going forward. Contact a clinic, like Oak Brook Allergists, for more help.


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