Cross allergies: table, birch, wormwood, food

Allergy develops under the influence of irritating agents - allergens or physical factors. Cross-allergy is formed as a response to the action of several structurally similar allergens.

This type of allergy is difficult to diagnose. Therefore, individuals with a particular type of allergy should be aware of what types of allergens can cross-react.

Allergy mechanism

Allergy is caused by an overactive reaction of the immune system to the introduction of an allergen. An allergic reaction occurs only in a sensitized organism that has already "encountered" this type of allergen and has specific antibodies against it (IgE and IgG). If an irritant enters the body: pollen, food, drugs or under the influence physical factors (cold, sunlight, etc.), the immune response is triggered in the form of a cascade of cellular reactions.

Hypersensitivity can be mediated by various immune mechanisms. But their essence boils down to the fact that the allergen activates basophils, mast and cytotoxic cells. These immunocompetent cells secrete and “release” mediators (histamine, prostaglandins) into the bloodstream. Which, in turn, pathologically affect the surrounding tissues, lead to edema, increased permeability of blood vessels and increased secretion of the epithelium. This reaction can develop in minutes.

With the accumulation of pro-inflammatory mediators in the body, a late (delayed) allergic reaction is formed on the second day. Allergies manifest clinically as rhinitis, conjunctivitis, dermatitis, urticaria, or bronchial asthma.

Properties of allergens

Allergens are usually substances of a protein or polysaccharide nature with a low molecular weight, which ensures their penetration through the mucous membrane of the respiratory system or skin.

Chemical properties characteristic of allergens:

• activity in very small doses;
• high ability to penetrate, dissolve and adsorb in tissues;
• significant stability of the structure, ensures their preservation in body fluids.

What is Cross Allergy?

Cross-allergy is caused by hypersensitivity to several structurally similar allergens.

Allergens have receptor structures called determinants. The possibility of cross-reactions is determined by the presence of the same determinants in different allergens, which can belong to a wide variety of carriers (dust, food, drugs, plant pollen and etc.).

The following types of cross-reacting allergens are distinguished:

• On plant pollen. Pollinosis are seasonal.
• Food allergens.
• Medicinal allergens.
• Household dust, mites and pet hair.
• Fungal allergens.

With cross-allergy, there is an increase in the number of allergens that cause a particular type of hypersensitivity.

Young children often develop cross-food allergies to milk, complementary foods, sweets, and pet hair.

This is due to low enzymatic activity and immature immune system in children. If you follow a hypoallergenic diet, the sensitivity usually goes away with age.

Diagnostics

Diagnosis of cross-hypersensitivity consists of clinical examination, history, laboratory examination, and skin tests.

• hypersensitivity to a certain factor and seasonality of manifestation, are the basis for testing cross-allergens;
• a family history is necessary because the allergy is hereditary.
• laboratory examination reveals causal allergens:

1. Determination of specific antibodies (IgE), basophilic test, etc.
2. The level of eosinophils in the blood.
3. Skin tests: subcutaneous injection of low doses of standard allergens indicates presence / absence of sensitivity. There are contraindications for exacerbation of allergies, pregnancy and some concomitant diseases.
4. Provocative tests to confirm the diagnosis when there is a discrepancy between the history and skin testing. There are the same contraindications.

Pollen cross allergy

Pollen hypersensitivity or hay fever is a very common phenomenon that allergy sufferers suffer from during the flowering periods of grasses and trees. The allergic calendar identifies three peaks of dusting for the territory of central Russia:

Dusting peak	Plants
1.Spring - April and May	The flowering period of trees: birch, hazel, alder, maple, elm, hazel, oak and ash.
2. Early summer - June and first half of July	Flowering trees (pine, linden), as well as cereals and herbs: timothy, fescue, bluegrass, rye, corn.
3. Summer and early autumn - from July to September	Dusting period of field grasses: wormwood, plantain, quinoa, sunflower, ragweed, beet, dandelion.

The tables of possible cross-allergens allow you to choose the right hypoallergenic diet.

Pollen Cross Allergen Chart

Plant pollen	Plants (stems, leaves, flowers)	Food	Phytopreparations and cosmetics
Birch	Apple tree, alder, hazel	Apples, kiwi, strawberries, hazelnuts, peaches, pears, cherries, plums, carrots, potatoes, celery, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, legumes	Birch leaves, buds, alder cones. Shampoos, creams, scrubs
Cereals	Wheat, oats, barley, rye, sorrel	Masks and scrubs based on oats and other cereals
Sagebrush	Chamomile, dandelion, sunflower, coriander, dahlia	Citrus fruits, sunflower seed (oil, halva), potatoes, parsnips, dill, coriander, anise, chicory, honey,	Cosmetics, vermouth, balms and preparations with wormwood, chamomile, calendula, succession, elecampane
Ambrosia, quinoa	Sunflower, dandelion	Beetroot, melon, bananas, sunflower seed, spinach	Dandelion-based medicines and cosmetics

Allergy sufferers are advised to keep an observation diary where it is necessary to record which of the allergens (pollen, food or medicine) and when caused the allergic reaction. This will allow planning an elimination diet and prevention of exacerbations of the disease.

Cross-food allergy

Cross-food allergies can also be associated with diseases of the digestive system. All food products, with the exception of salt and refined sugar, are allergenic.

Allergy to red fruits and vegetables is very common. In particular, persimmon allergy occurs due to its high tannin content. Persimmons can cross allergens with heather (beak, lingonberry, and heather pollen) plants.

Cross-food allergy statistics:

• with pollinosis more than 50%;
• with atopic dermatitis in 48%;
• in 15% in patients with bronchial asthma and allergic rhinitis.

Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Allergy Cross Table.

Product	Cross reactions	Medicines and cosmetics
Cow's milk	Beef, veal, wool and meat products, goat milk	Enzyme preparations from cattle raw materials (Pancreatin, Festal, etc.)
Chicken egg	Meat (including chicken), eggs and quail dishes, duck, prepared foods (mayonnaise, sauces)	Creams and medicines (Interferon, Lysozyme, Bifiliz) with egg components
Kefir	Blue cheese, yeast dough, mushrooms (Penicillium and Aspergillus)	Penicillins
A fish	Fish products, caviar, seafood: crustaceans and molluscs, daphnia	Fish fat
Strawberry	Red berries (lingonberry, raspberry, currant, blackberry), persimmon	Phytopreparations and creams with extracts of these berries
Carrot	Celery, parsley, wormwood	β-carotene, vitamin A
Potato	Solanaceous (tomato, paprika, eggplant), dishes with starch, wormwood, birch	Products containing potato starch (Volekam, Dextran)
Apples, plum (rose-colored plants)	Pear, quince, (stone peach, etc.), apple cider vinegar, almonds, prunes; pollen of alder, birch, wormwood	Preparations and cosmetics for raw materials from the specified plants and fruits
Hazelnuts	Nuts of all kinds, mango, kiwi, rice, buckwheat, oatmeal, poppy seeds, sesame seeds; birch and hazel pollen	Nut oils
Peanut	Stone fruits, nightshades, bananas, soybeans, green peas; latex	Latex and products made from it: gloves, nipples, glasses for the pool, condoms
Citrus	All citrus fruits (tangerine, lemon, etc.)	Cosmetics, citrus-based absorbable tablets
Bananas	Kiwi, melon, avocado, wheat gluten; plantain pollen; latex
Mustard	Cruciferous (horseradish, all types of cabbage, radish)
Kiwi	Banana, nuts, avocado, bay leaf; rice, oatmeal, sesame; pollen of cereals and birch	Latex, cosmetics based on it
Beet	Marevye (spinach), beet syrup	Beetroot masks, beet juice
Legumes	Beans, soybeans, peas, lentils, alfalfa, mango, peanuts	Thermopsis, cosmetic oils of legumes and peanuts

• Boiling (20 min) cow's milk destroys bovine serum albumin and α-lactalbumin, which are strong allergens. However, these proteins are retained in dry and condensed milk.
• If you are hypersensitive to fish, you can eat canned fish.

A distinction should be made between sensitivity to egg yolk (species-specific) and to protein (not species-specific). In the case of the latter type of allergy, eggs of chickens should not be replaced with eggs of other types of poultry (quail, duck), as they contain protein with similar determinants. It should be borne in mind that many vaccines contain egg white impurities.

Cross-drug allergy

Almost all drugs are allergenic. Allergy to antibiotics is most often noted for sulfa drugs (Lidocaine, Bupivacaine, etc.) and penicillin groups, since they are strong allergens. Hypersensitivity to drugs develops only after repeated use of the drug that caused the allergy. However, cross-allergens can also pre-sensitize the body. It has been shown that allergy to an antibiotic of a certain series leads to a cross-reaction to all drugs of this group.

Drug Allergy Cross Table.

A drug	Cross reaction
Erythromycin	Cross-allergy to all Macrolides is possible (Sumamed, Tetraolean, Rulid, Macropen, etc.)
Iodine	Do not use the following products: Lugol's solution, Enteroseptol and Solutan
Penicillins and Cephalosporins	Cross allergens with poultry and animals
B vitamins and antibiotics of the penicillin group	Have common determinants with molds and yeasts, respectively, with cheeses, sauerkraut, beer, kvass, dry wines, dried fruits and kefir

Cross reaction treatment

Cross-hypersensitivity can provoke severe allergic conditions, therefore it is important to carry out timely diagnosis and treatment in specialized centers.

Treatment is based on:

• Elimination or limitation of the influence of causative allergens.
• Selection of a balanced diet.
• The use of antihistamines (Cetrin, Eden, Erius, etc.) to relieve the manifestations of allergies.
• Stabilization of mast cells (Cromones, Ketotifen).
• Prescribing glucocorticoids (Prednisolone, Dexamethasone, etc.) for severe allergies.
• Antigen-specific immunotherapy (hyposensitization).