Why for the oranges make me itchy, daddy?

January 17, 2006 1:46 AM

Why do oranges make my throat itchy?

Why is it, that when I eat oranges (well, specifically the little mandarin-type oranges as opposed to full-sized oranges), for a good hour or two afterwards I get an itch right at the back of my throat? It's inside my throat, it's not like I break out in hives on my neck or anything... is this a sign of some allergy? I've been eating them for years, and never really thought anything about it until a friend pointed out that they have an anaphalactic (sp?) allergy to and they had the same symptoms when eating said food. I'm worried because I've heard that anaphalactic reactions get worse every time you are exposed to the allergen, but I love my mandarins! Anybody have any idea?

posted by antifuse to food & drink (9 comments total)

Hmm - definitely sounds like an allergic reaction to me. Some kind of fruits do a similar thing to me, but that usually if I eat the skin (e.g. apples); apparently it's the wild yeast that gets me.

I presume that you don't eat the skin of a mandarin?
posted by Chunder at 3:08 AM on January 17, 2006

Errr no. Yuck. But that leads me to wonder if the white bits from inside the skin that stick to the orange sometimes (which I *do* eat) are what is causing the itchiness? Orange/mandarin juice does not cause any similar symptoms...
posted by antifuse at 3:31 AM on January 17, 2006

I read a previous MeFi thread recently about a person who breaks out every time they eat a certain thing... uhhg! Can't find it now, but here's my take: many foods that are high in acid cause strange reactions in people.

My mom used to love to eat tomatoes raw and straight (like an apple) and they always caused the skin around her mouth to break out. Same thing happens with many people and oranges because of the high amounts of citric acid.

This could be a similar issue. I'd say it doesn't definitely mean you are allergic, you're just sensitive. A doctor can determine the difference (duh).
posted by Brittanie at 3:42 AM on January 17, 2006

Not exactly how I remembered it, but here's that thread. It's about citrus allergies.
posted by Brittanie at 3:46 AM on January 17, 2006

That's a mild allergy. I have that with apples and cherries. Doesn't stop me from eating them, though.
posted by rxrfrx at 5:00 AM on January 17, 2006

You should see an allergist and get tested to positively identify the allergens that give you a reaction. Food allergies are not something you want to mess around with.
posted by FergieBelle at 5:23 AM on January 17, 2006

Here's a recent thread asking about citrus allergies.
posted by shinynewnick at 6:26 AM on January 17, 2006

It's an allergy. It's also a sign you may have a load more allergies you may not know about. Do you also get itchy if you roll around in grass?

I'm highly allergic to avocados and kiwi, but not other green fruits. I just drank a can of mango juice last night, with less than favorable returns, although peach, orange, and nectarine juices work just fine on me. Usually the back corners of my mouth my ears, my throat and my sinuses get itchy, if I eat a banana.
posted by vanoakenfold at 8:26 AM on January 17, 2006

I'd say it doesn't definitely mean you are allergic, you're just sensitive. A doctor can determine the difference (duh).

isn't it more like, a doctor can make a judgment call about how severe it is and therefore which category to put it in? All allergies are oversensitivity to things.
posted by mdn at 2:18 PM on January 17, 2006