
Oral allergy syndrome is sometimes referred to as pollen fruit syndrome.ĭoctors generally consider oral allergy syndrome to be a mild form of food allergy that is caused by a contact allergic reaction in the mouth and throat. This reaction can cause some people to develop an itchy throat and mouth after eating certain foods, including apples that contain proteins that are very similar to pollen. Unlike a peanut, wheat, or shellfish allergy, some allergies are caused by an allergic reaction to pollen. People who develop oral allergy symptoms are more likely to have hay fever and upper respiratory allergies. People may have more symptoms during the spring when birch pollen is in the air. This type of apple allergy is more likely to affect older children and adults in cooler climates where birch trees are more prevalent. These people usually have a milder reaction, with symptoms developing in and around the mouth. In the second type of apple allergy, the person may be reacting to a protein within the apple that is very similar to proteins found in birch tree pollen. People in the Mediterranean are more prone to this type of apple allergy. In these people, symptoms, which can be very severe, may begin almost immediately after they have eaten an apple.

In the first kind of apple allergy, people are allergic to a protein in the apple that is closely related to a protein found in peaches. There are two main types of apple allergies. However, the type of apple allergy a person has can vary.

People of any age, ethnicity, or gender may suffer from an apple allergy.
