Every year the allergies respiratory diseases are gaining a little more ground in France. For example, allergy to pollen, undoubtedly the most widespread of all, today affects 30 to 35% of adults and approximately 20% of children from the age of 9 according to INSERM, i.e. three times more than in the early 2000s.
And if you are one of those millions of French people who dread the arrival of spring and its share of sneezing, coughing and itchy skin, know that another relatively unknown phenomenon should also hold your attention: that of allergies. crossed.
Cross allergies, what is it?
People who are already allergic are at risk of developing increased sensitivity to other substances from the same family, with similar allergens. A phenomenon known as cross allergies, which are much less rare than one might think in people with favorable ground.
And not surprisingly, cross allergies appear most frequently in people who already have an allergy to pollen. These have up to three times more likely to develop a food allergy at the same time. And in the majority of cases, the respiratory allergy is revealed before the food allergy.
To see more clearly, here is a summary table of the most common cross allergies (table that you can find on the site alk.fr) :
There’s a crazy thing called cross allergies ⬇️ 🙂 pic.twitter.com/cFJFADBFUU
— Clemenceji (@Clemenceji) April 2, 2020
Cross allergies, complicated to identify
Thus, a person allergic to grass pollen will be more likely to also develop an allergy to peanuts, wheat flour, melon or orange. But respiratory allergies are not the cause of all cross allergies.
The phenomenon can for example be observed within food families. A person allergic to peach is more likely to develop an allergy to apricot, almond, cherry, plum or apple.
Finally, cross allergies can be particularly difficult to identify, in particular because of the significant seasonality of most respiratory allergies. In addition, cross-allergy reactions are often mild (tingling in the mouth and throat) and may go unnoticed. However, the symptoms can be more severe in some cases (oedema, conjunctivitis, rhinitis, asthma…).