Hot coffee in the morning helps to finally wake up and cheer up before work day. And who would have thought that even for this favorite drink, an unexpected reaction of the body may occur in the form, for example, of a rash, sneezing, nasal congestion, and even migraine. It turns out that coffee causes allergies in the same way as many other foods.
Let's talk about why this happens, what factors contribute to this process, whether there are ways to get rid of the problem.
What is an allergy?
An allergy is a hypersensitive reaction of the body to certain types of pathogens, which are called "allergens."
In the normal state, the immune system produces antibodies to combat parasites, bacteria and harmful viruses. This is necessary to provide a protective function. In case of malfunctions, the body begins to produce antibodies when allergens enter it, which leads to the release of mediators (one of them is histamine). As a result, a rash and spots appear on the hands, face or other parts of the body, as well as other signs of allergy, such as frequent sneezing, nasal congestion, swelling, lacrimation, redness and itching in the eyes, gastrointestinal upset, and others.
The appearance of such a reaction can be triggered by the use of certain foods, chemicals, plant pollen, animal hair, contact allergens (jewelry, perfumes) and so on. In this case, the most common is food allergy.
Could there be an allergy to coffee?
In today's world, many cannot even imagine their life without coffee. This drink perfectly invigorates and gives energy, and for people suffering from low blood pressure, it is a kind of panacea. Nevertheless, there is an allergy to coffee, during which its use leads to unpleasant symptoms. Most often this happens in those people who drink excessive amounts of the drink.
Let us dwell on questions about how allergy to coffee manifests itself, why this happens, and whether there are ways to deal with such a nuisance.
Causes of coffee allergies
It’s worth starting with the fact that an allergy to coffee can occur in both of its types: soluble and natural. In the first case, this will be due to the presence in the drink of various additives and dyes. This means that the reaction of the body does not occur to the drink as a whole, but to its individual components.
In the case of natural coffee, the appearance of allergies can be caused by chlorogenic acid, which is found in grains. This happens due to individual intolerance to the body.
An adverse reaction to caffeine, which is present in large quantities in the drink, can also occur.
It is important to remember one detail: coffee allergy does not appear suddenly. This only happens if there are concomitant factors that lead to an exacerbation of the situation. These include:
- diseases of the gastrointestinal tract;
- metabolic problems;
- diseases of the liver and other organs that act as filters;
- kidney and pancreas diseases;
- disturbances in the immune system.
Therefore, when confirming that an allergic reaction arose precisely because of the use of coffee, it would be nice to undergo a medical examination. This will help to identify and eliminate possible problems in time. And with them, the allergy to your favorite aromatic drink will disappear.
Signs of Coffee Allergy
What are some special signs of coffee allergy? Symptoms can be varied.
The main ones are exactly the same as during allergic reactions to any other product: rashes, redness and spots on the hands, face or other parts of the body, itching, hives. In addition, cough and shortness of breath, nasal congestion, repeated sneezing can be observed. There may be disruptions in the digestive system, which will be accompanied by abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, flatulence.
In a severe form, an allergy to coffee can be accompanied by the appearance of chills, headaches, palpitations, suffocation, Quincke's edema.
Allergy Diagnosis
To confirm the diagnosis, you must contact the allergological center. In laboratory conditions, it will be possible to determine its nature and establish the fact that the reaction of the body was caused precisely by food products. That's just to identify the real culprits, it will take some time.
The first thing to do is to reduce the amount of food consumed. This will help identify the cause of the allergy as soon as possible. Employees who work in an organization such as an allergy center advise starting a food diary. It is necessary to make all the products that have been taken as food. You need to do this every day, indicating absolutely all the food.
If it was revealed that the allergy was caused by coffee, you need to conduct a final test. To do this, a cup of drink is drunk and an antihistamine is taken. In the presence of allergies, soon the symptoms disappear and relief comes.
What else will you have to give up?
If you are allergic to natural coffee, you will have to limit the use of other products that contain chlorogenic acid in their composition. These are apples, blueberries, eggplant, barberry, sorrel, sunflower seeds, potatoes. It should be borne in mind that in itself chlorogenic acid is not a dangerous substance. An individual reaction of an organism usually occurs as a result of its excessive consumption in food.
Caffeine in greater or lesser amounts is present in dark ice cream, analgesics, diet pills, energy drinks, soft drinks, chocolate, Coca-Cola, cocoa.
It is also important to consider that there is a relationship between the two types of allergies: coffee and beans. Therefore, the second should be abandoned at least for the duration of treatment. This is especially true for green peas and beans.
In addition, meat purines and tobacco smoke, the composition of which is similar to caffeine, are banned.
Coffee Allergy Treatment
The first stage of treatment involves the exclusion of an allergen from the diet, in this case coffee. To quickly eliminate unpleasant symptoms, a course of taking antihistamines is prescribed, and external signs in the form of a rash, peeling of the skin, redness are treated with special ointments and gels.
To remove allergic substances from the body, sorbent intake is usually recommended. This will also reduce the body's reaction to hot coffee, if a person still can not refuse it. In parallel with sorbents, it is advisable to start taking drugs that eliminate the development of dysbiosis.
If an allergy to coffee provoked a malfunction in the digestive system, then as a symptomatic therapy, the intake of enzymes that improve the digestive tract is prescribed.
It is important to remember that it is impossible to cure an allergy. Therefore, the only way to avoid it in the future is to comply with certain rules.
Prevention of coffee allergies
The main and most effective way to prevent the occurrence of allergies to coffee is its complete exclusion from your diet. Although in this regard, it is necessary to take into account the individual characteristics of the body. For example, if some people have a reaction after the first sip of the drink, then others can afford to drink one or two cups without any obvious consequences. The main thing in the second case is not to overdo it, since the reaction occurs as a result of an overdose of allergens. Therefore, it is worth limiting the use of the drink to a minimum.
The methods of prevention can also include conducting a full examination of the body to identify diseases of the kidneys, liver, gastrointestinal tract and so on. This has already been mentioned above, so we will not repeat it.
Another point concerns the so-called green coffee, which contains small doses of tannins and caffeine. Despite the safety of the drink, which is mentioned in the advertisement, it remains prohibited for allergy sufferers. This is due to the high concentration of chlorogenic acid in it.
How to replace your favorite invigorating drink?
This question remains open for those who are used to waking up only thanks to coffee. But, as we know, there is nothing irreplaceable. For example, freshly squeezed orange juice or green tea can give vitality and energy. If you are not allergic to caffeine, you can replace it with hot chocolate.
For those who cannot give up the taste of coffee, modern manufacturers offer the option of a decaffeinated drink (although it is contained there, but in very small doses) or chicory root.
Another great way to help you finally wake up and cheer up is to take a contrast shower. In addition, this procedure is very useful for any person.
Although coffee allergy is rare, it does not make its symptoms less unpleasant. Therefore, it is important to recognize it in time and abandon your favorite drink or replace it with something similar.
Be healthy!