What is Latex-Fruit Syndrome?

Latex-fruit syndrome is a condition in which a latex allergy causes you to also react to certain fruits, vegetables and nuts. Certain foods, such as bananas and avocados, contain proteins that are structured similarly to latex, causing them to be cross-reactive with latex. This means that your immune system may recognize these foods as latex.

Latex-fruit syndrome occurs in roughly 30-50% of people with latex allergy. Individuals with latex-fruit syndrome can experience allergic reactions after eating, touching, or smelling latex cross-reactive foods. It is also possible for individuals to have a fruit allergy that is cross-reactive with latex. This occurs in roughly 10% of people with a fruit allergy.

in St. Louis, Missouri

Latex-Fruit Syndrome Foods List

Several foods have been implicated in latex-fruit syndrome. Bananas, chestnuts, avocados, and kiwi have a particularly high latex cross-reactivity, meaning that individuals with a latex allergy are more likely to experience allergic reactions when exposed to these foods.

Apples, tomatoes, potatoes, carrots, celery, melons, and papaya are said to have moderate latex cross-reactivity. While individuals with latex allergy are less likely to experience allergic reactions to these foods than the highly latex cross-reactive foods listed above, allergic reactions are still possible.

Many other foods have low or undetermined latex cross-reactivity, including many common fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds not listed above. You may experience latex-fruit syndrome when exposed to apricot, buckwheat, cassava/manioc, castor bean, cherry, chickpea, citrus fruits, coconut, cucumber, dill, eggplant, fig, goji berry or wolfberry, grape, hazelnut, Indian jujube, jackfruit, lychee, mango, nectarine, oregano, passion fruit, peach, peanut, pear, peppers (cayenne, sweet, or bell), persimmon, pineapple, pumpkin, rye, sage, strawberry, shellfish, soybean, sunflower seed, tobacco, turnip, walnut, wheat, or zucchini. However, reactions to these foods are unlikely compared to foods with high and moderate latex cross-reactivity.

Latex-Fruit Syndrome Symptoms

Latex-fruit syndrome symptoms are similar to latex allergy, contact dermatitis, or food allergy. Individuals with latex allergy should be aware that latex-fruit syndrome symptoms can be quite severe, and even anaphylaxis is possible with exposure to foods that are cross-reactive with your latex allergy.

‘Classic’ latex allergy symptoms include hives, itching or flushing, tightness in the throat, or wheezing. These symptoms can occur when a latex cross-reactive food touches your skin or mucous membranes, or when you smell or inhale particles from a latex cross-reactive food.

Contact dermatitis symptoms can occur in latex-fruit syndrome when your skin comes into contact with a cross-reactive food. Inflammation, itching, pain, rash, redness, and swelling are the typical latex-fruit syndrome symptoms of a contact reaction.

You may also experience food allergy-like symptoms when eating a cross-reactive food. Itchiness, redness, swelling, or irritation on the lips, mouth, tongue, or throat are common reactions. Nausea and stomach ache are also possible latex-food syndrome symptoms, though less common.

Latex-Fruit Syndrome Treatment

At the present moment there is no cure for latex-fruit syndrome. Individuals with latex-fruit syndrome are advised to avoid foods that are cross-reactive with their latex allergy, and to carry epinephrine in the event of a serious reaction.

Antihistamines may be effective in relieving mild latex allergy symptoms when they occur. Dr. Cajigal can offer personalized advice on how to manage your latex allergy, and latex-fruit syndrome. Get in touch with us at St. Louis Family Allergy to learn more!

in St. Louis, Missouri

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