Honey is a kind of food that is made by bees. They use the flower nectar to come up with this sweet food. Since honey is a product of pollen and bees, the person who has an allergy to pollen or bee stings is more likely to develop a honey allergy. This kind of allergy presents symptoms that may vary from one person to another. However, this allergy is neither serious nor fatal. Moreover, it can be treated easily.
When honey allergy occurs, the immune system identifies honey as a dangerous substance. It will soon release antibodies, followed by the release of histamine to fight the unidentified substance. This reaction causes visible effects that can be observed throughout the body. The severity of the symptoms depends on how allergic the person is to the substance. Fortunately, honey can be avoided easily because it is not a common ingredient in beverages and food.
Like any other allergy, honey allergy gives discomfort to the sufferer. The person will experience tongue swelling, itchy throat, watery eyes, itchy lips, hives, running nose, and constant sneezing. Other person might have skin inflammation, excessive congestion, and headaches. Though this allergy is not normally serious, it can also lead to infections, foggy brain, and depressed immune system. However, symptoms vary from one person to another.
Honey allergic reaction can be prevented by avoiding all beverages and food that have honey in their composition. Torones, Greek pastries and baklava are the most common foods that contain honey. Therefore, they have to be avoided by a person that has developed an allergy to this sweet, natural product. Some restaurants serve tea that is sweeten with honey. It is advisable for honey allergy suffers to check the ingredients of the drinks and dishes they order in a restaurant. Food product labels should always be double-checked so as to make sure that the dangerous substance is not there. Furthermore, the allergic person should always have antihistamines at a close reach, since even a tasty-looking piece of cake might trigger an unwanted allergic reaction.
Although honey allergy is not as dangerous as other allergies, doctors still prescribe treatment for it since even a minor allergic reaction can evolve in time into a more serious condition. Antihistamines are the best treatment for all allergies. They manage to treat the symptoms of the allergy in a few minutes. Experts claim that they are able to annihilate the effects of the dangerous substance in no more than fifteen minutes. However, if antihistamines are not enough and the condition still persists, one should definitely ask for a specialist’s advice.
Severe honey allergy might lead to a complication known as anaphylactic shock. This is the most serious and fatal complication that can occur to a person that has an allergy history. The person will experience difficulty in breathing, seizures, fainting and dizziness. This condition cannot be overcome just through the administration of over-the-counter or common drugs. In this case, medical help provided be specialists is absolutely necessary. The allergy sufferer should prevent people around him or her about his/her condition so as to receive proper help when needed. Honey allergy should not be considered superficially since it can cause serious health problems to the sufferer.
