Onions - a vegetable that has been familiar to people from ancient times. It is added to different types of food, cosmetic products and traditional medicine. Due to its unique composition and healing properties, this plant helps to get rid of many diseases. However, some people are allergic to onions. What is the reason for such a reaction and how is it manifested?
Plant properties
Onion is a healthy, low-calorie product that is considered an integral part of diet and a healthy diet.
It is used for cooking meat and fish dishes, various salads, first courses. The composition of this vegetable includes many useful substances: sodium, iron, vitamins of groups B and C, potassium.
Many doctors are of the opinion that the development of allergies to onions is almost impossible. However, in some people, the body reacts negatively to this product. This is especially true for children under the age of three. It is very difficult to determine an allergic pathology on your own. After all, its signs are similar to the symptoms of other diseases. If there are manifestations of an ailment, you must consult a doctor and undergo the prescribed examinations.
The main causes of the development of pathology
So, to the question of whether there can be an allergy to onions, the answer will be yes. The disease occurs as a result of an abnormal immune response, which takes the protein that is part of the product as foreign. This phenomenon often provokes a fresh vegetable and its juice.
On a plant in dried, boiled or fried form, allergies develop less frequently. Sometimes the disease occurs after contact with feathers and onion husks. Cosmetic products, for the manufacture of which this vegetable is used, can also cause a negative reaction.
Other factors provoking pathology
An allergy to onions in some cases is the result of exposure to the body of the chemicals used to treat the plant. At the same time, home vegetables do not cause pathological symptoms. Sometimes patients notice symptoms of the disease after consuming canned vinegar, which includes this product. Plant seeds provoke a negative reaction in agricultural workers. Some food business workers suffer from conjunctivitis and runny nose after exposure to onion dust. A negative reaction can occur against the background of the use of folk remedies, in the manufacture of which this vegetable is used. These are medicines for inflammatory diseases of the bronchi, respiratory infections, hypertension, parasitic infestations.
Allergies should not be confused with individual intolerance, which is not related to the activity of the immune system.
What varieties of plants provoke pathology?
There are many types of this vegetable. Onion allergy is considered the most common. After all, this type of plant is often used in cooking and other areas. It is used as a seasoning for dishes, a component of cosmetics for lightening freckles, improving the condition of hair. Everyone has long known that this product contains unique substances - essential oils that destroy pathogens and have a beneficial effect on health.
Other varieties of onions (chives, batuns, scum, shallots, fragrant) can also provoke negative reactions. However, these varieties are not used so often.
Cross pathology
Not only onions can cause allergies, but also foods that contain similar proteins.
These vegetables and fruits include the following:
- Asparagus, garlic.
- Cherries, kernels of nuts, peaches, citrus fruits, tomatoes, celery. Cross-sectional pathology occurs due to a reaction to a protein that carries fats.
- Plants that contain profilin. This component is present not only in onions, but also in other varieties of vegetables and fruits.
Factors that increase the likelihood of developing pathology
The risk of allergies to onions (onions, leeks, shallots, green leaves of the plant), as well as to the substances that process the vegetable, increases in the following situations:
- The presence of a genetic predisposition.
- Chronic pathology of the stomach and intestines. In this case, the cause of the pathology is a violation of the process of digestion of the vegetable, as well as burning substances that have a negative effect on the digestive tract.
- Age up to 3 years. This risk factor is explained by an underdeveloped digestive system, weak immunity, the use of an excessive amount of onions during the period of gestation and lactation.
Signs of pathology in adult patients
If you are allergic to onions, the symptoms in adults are as follows:
- Nasal congestion, runny nose.
- Itching and irritation of the mucous membranes.
- Sneezing.
- Bouts of coughing.
- Difficulty breathing.
- Swelling of the mucous membranes and skin.
- Feeling of nausea, bouts of vomiting.
- Flatulence.
- Discomfort in the peritoneum.
- Violations of the stool.
- Rashes on the surface of the skin, urticaria, red spots.
In rare cases, an allergy to onions, symptoms of pathology are accompanied by the appearance of complications (anaphylactic shock and Quincke's edema). Adults are especially difficult to tolerate such consequences of the disease. Sometimes a person needs treatment in a hospital setting.
Signs of pathology in babies
An onset allergy in an infant can be suspected if the following symptoms are present:
- Rashes in the form of bubbles or blisters on the surface of the skin.
- Hives.
- Red shade of mucous membranes and epidermis, swelling.
- Vomiting, intestinal upset.
- Itching
- The regurgitation that occurs after each meal.
- Colic, increased gas formation in the intestines.
- Sneezing, outflow of mucus from the nose.
Methods for diagnosing the disease
If you experience symptoms of an allergy to onions, you should consult a specialist. To identify the ailment, the following medical measures are carried out:
- Laboratory tests of biological material (blood, urine).
- Tests (provocative, skin).
- Allergy tests.
- Immunoglobulin E test (blood test).
Skin tests are one of the most accurate and effective methods for detecting pathology.
They allow you to quickly find out the result and do not provoke negative effects on the body. This method of diagnosis can be recommended even to small children.
Effective Therapies
In case of symptoms of the disease, any contact with the substance that provokes this reaction should be immediately excluded. Onions should not be eaten. It is also necessary to avoid smell, contact of the plant with the skin. Especially dangerous is the plant in its raw form. When using a heat-treated vegetable, many people prone to this type of allergy do not have symptoms.
To quickly eliminate the signs of pathology, drugs with antihistamine properties are used. The dosage and type of medication is determined by the doctor depending on the age category and health status of the patient. Some medicines can only be used by people over 12 years old. Modern allergy drugs do not have pronounced side effects. The most common drugs include Claritin, Fenistil, Zirtek, Diazolin. In addition, ointments "Sinaflan", "Hydrocortisone", "Lokaid" are used to eliminate itching and rashes. For the treatment of pediatric patients, Gistan and Bepanten are recommended. In addition, drugs are prescribed that cleanse the body cells from allergens and toxic substances. This is activated carbon, Polysorb, Enterol.
With the development of complications in the form of Quincke's edema or anaphylactic shock, potent drugs ("Dexamethasone", "Prednisolone") in the form of injections are used. These medicines contain hormones. They contribute to the normalization of blood pressure, the elimination of swelling and spasm of the bronchi.
Any drugs that are used to treat allergies should not be taken without first consulting a specialist.
Alternative methods of therapy
To eliminate the symptoms of pathology, young nettle leaves are used. Fresh raw materials should be rinsed, crushed, placed in a liter jar, pour cool water. Insist for ten to twelve hours. To use inside instead of tea.
Egg shells can help relieve allergy symptoms. It should be ground and taken one teaspoon, washed down with a large volume of water. Another effective remedy is mummy. An infusion is prepared from this raw material. 1 g of powder is diluted in a liter of water. Use three times a day for 100 ml.
In addition, special nutrition is recommended for patients. It eliminates allergic manifestations. The patient's diet should consist of buckwheat and rice groats, vegetables, fruits and berries (not causing a negative reaction), baking without yeast. Black tea, cocoa, chocolate and coffee should be discarded.
Can I eat onions during pregnancy and lactation?
This plant contains many useful substances. Experts say that it is not contraindicated for expectant mothers and nursing women. The product helps to strengthen the immune system, prevents infections. However, this vegetable should be consumed in moderation. Contrary to popular belief, it does not contribute to the deterioration of the taste of milk. But, if the baby has symptoms of an allergy to onions, digestion is broken, colic, flatulence occurs, a woman should exclude this food from her diet.
Product introduction to the kid’s menu
In children, an allergy to onions is quite often due to unformed immunity and gastrointestinal tract. Therefore, when using this vegetable, nursing mothers should be especially careful. Experts recommend introducing this food into the baby’s diet from about eight months old. Raw onions are not recommended for children under three years of age. The product must be subjected to heat treatment. The most useful vegetable in the broth and other first courses.
Allergic reactions to green onions in young patients are more likely than to onions. You should not try to introduce it into the diet of the child. It is known that this product is not suitable for babies. It is not used for cooking in preschool.