People may respond to the altered diet habits because they have either a food allergy or a food intolerance. No matter what you may have heard from your well-meaning neighbors, friends or co-workers, allergies and intolerances to food are not the same.
A food allergy is the response of your immune system to the consumption of a certain food. It is an immediate response, in fact. You eat a food you're allergic to, your body will let you know about it just about immediately.
Not only that, but you'll feel the affects of a food allergy regardless of how much of the food you eat (which, as you'll discover shortly, sets it apart from a food intolerance). Even a minute amount of the food can prompt symptoms of your allergy. While for some people this can mean hives or digestive problems, it may also appear in the form of a sinus problem as well.
Many people experience, as part of their allergic reaction, nasal congestion or dizziness, two of the symptoms intimately linked to sinusitis.
Got Hay Fever?
You May Have A Food Allergy Too!
You don't have to take my word for it, though. The Mayo Clinic explains that many individuals suffering with hay fever, may also experience an allergic reaction to certain fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as nuts and spices.
This type of reaction is referred to as pollen-food allergy syndrome or oral allergy syndrome. This condition is a prime example of what's known as cross-reactivity. The proteins in fruits and vegetables actually trigger the reaction due to their similarity of the allergy-causing proteins of certain pollens.
Let's say, for example, you're allergic to ragweed. You then may also have an allergic reaction to melons. Find yourself allergic to birch pollen? Don't be surprised if you can't tolerate eating apples.
Sometimes this reaction can be mitigated simply by cooking the foods. For reasons yet fully understood, cooked fruits and vegetables don't cause the cross-reactive oral allergy symptoms.
If you suspect this might be a cause of your sinus problems, then consult the table below to discover some of the more common triggers.
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