Did you know you could be eating foods that are worsening your allergies?

Certain foods contain histamines that can lead to itching, sneezing, headache, or even coughing and you have to visit an allergy physician to get treatment.

Whether you are suffering from seasonal allergies or any other form of allergy, you should avoid these foods:

Wine

As attractive as it looks, wine can be harmful when suffering from allergies. Wine contains high levels of histamines that are responsible for swelling, congestion, itching, redness, and other symptoms.

Wine also packs other substances that can make you stuffed up. The drink also has LTP, a protein in the skin of grapes that can trigger congestion.

Daily products

Daily products have casein, a milk protein that increases mucus production and an immune system irritant.

Some people switch to nonfat milk products hoping the allergies will go away, but they don’t as these products have the same amount of milk protein as their full-fat varieties.

If you have noticed that your allergies flare up when you take daily products, avoid anything with casein. When you are out shopping, carefully read the product labels and ensure they don’t contact any casein.

You can substitute sheep’s and goat’s milk for cow’s milk as the two have different protein composition and don’t cause sinus and allergy and immune system problems that come from cow’s milk.

Aged cheese

If you have felt stuffed up or have experienced a runny nose after eating aged cheese, it’s not in your imagination. Studies show that certain microbes in aged cheese can produce allergy-like reactions, so if you have had issues in the past with the cheese, it’s wise you stay away from it.

Fresh fruits

Most of the fresh fruits in the market are healthy and beneficial to your body, but other varieties including berries have a protein in their skin similar to pollen.

If you know you are allergic to alder or birch pollen, avoid these berries as the body sees the fresh fruit as a toxin and releases histamines to fight it, leading to symptoms such as rashes, swelling, and gastrointestinal issues.

Other symptoms you might have when you take the fruits include: scratchy throat and a runny nose.

Spicy foods

Spicy foods are known to clear out sinuses and the nasal passages and thin out mucus, which is a good thing, but sometimes the symptoms are dramatic and annoying, especially when you are suffering from gustatory rhinitis.

This is a condition where people develop allergic irritation from spicy foods and end up sneezing or with a runny nose.

If you always get irritated when you take chili, swear off the hot stuff.

Red meat

You should stay away from red meat if you suffer from an Alpha-gal allergy. This is a sudden severe allergy that results when you are exposed to red meat. Experts believe that ticks pick up a sugar molecule known as alpha-gal from their prey then transfer it to their next victim.

If you take red meat and you notice symptoms such as nausea, hives, or difficulty in breathing, chances are you are allergic to meat and you should stay away from it.

Herbal tea

Everyone living a healthy lifestyle will tell you to take herbal tea. While it’s healthy, it’s made from flowers, grasses, and plants that can cross-react with plant pollen causing allergies.

Alcohol

Although alcohol rarely causes allergies, it can cause stuffiness. Alcohol causes dilation of the blood vessels which contributes to flushed skin and congestion.

The last thing you want when you are suffering from allergies is anything that adds to the symptoms. Unfortunately, alcohol does this so you should avoid it.

How do you know the foods to avoid?

Studies show that many people are suffering from allergies but they don’t know the allergens they are allergic to. If this is you, you should visit an allergist Manassas VA for allergy testing. The doctor will take a skin or blood sample and find out the kind of allergy you have.

The doctor will also recommend the best treatment options to go with and the foods to take and those to avoid.