{"id":4274,"date":"2017-05-24T16:52:21","date_gmt":"2017-05-24T16:52:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/?p=4274"},"modified":"2017-05-24T17:05:48","modified_gmt":"2017-05-24T17:05:48","slug":"what-is-oas","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jamaicahospital.org\/newsletter\/what-is-oas\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is OAS?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>Peaches, melons, corn, cherries and cucumbers are hands down some of the seasonal fruits and vegetables that we look forward to eating during summer. While these summertime favorites are enjoyable for most, others may experience itchiness of the mouth or other discomforts after consuming them. This reaction may be due to a condition known as oral allergy syndrome (OAS).<\/p>\n

According to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, OAS is defined as \u201ca form of contact allergy reaction that occurs upon contact of the mouth and throat with raw fruits or vegetables.\u201d \u00a0\u00a0This happens because your body is unable to tell the difference between proteins in these foods and pollen. \u201cThe immune system recognizes the pollen and similar proteins in the food and directs an allergic response to it,\u201d states the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. \u00a0Therefore if a person is allergic to pollen there is a chance they can develop OAS.<\/p>\n

Most cases of OAS are attributed to an allergy to birch pollen. Those who are allergic to birch pollen may experience symptoms when eating fruits or vegetables such as cherries, zucchini, peaches and plums.\u00a0 Allergies to other types of pollen from grass or ragweed may trigger a reaction when consuming produce such as melons, cucumbers or bananas.<\/p>\n

Symptoms of OAS are typically mild and last for only a few minutes; they may include:<\/p>\n