Life Pro Tips

Since I was young I noticed when eating kiwi my mouth became tingly and there was a slight burning sensation. I thought nothing of this because other fruits like pineapple had a similar effect, and I learned that pineapple has a digestive enzyme (Bromelain) that basically breaks your mouth down. I figured something similar was happening with kiwi.

I mentioned the burning to one of my friends and they agreed with pineapple but said they had never experienced it with kiwi or any of the other things that made my mouth tingle like celery or peaches. An internet dive led me to oral allergy syndrome (OAS).

Oral allergy syndrome is more common in people with seasonal allergies and the types of foods that cause the symptoms match your allergies (ie there are different sensitivities if you are allergic to grass, birch, or ragweed). Some people describe a tingly sensation like me, others describe an itching or burning. Some people with ragweed allergies also have this effect from certain edibles.

The tingling goes away if you cook the fruit/veggies. There is no treatment for OAS and as long as the sensation isn’t too unpleasant for most of the allergens you can just keep enjoying. oral allergy description and chart

Edit TL;DR LPT If you have OAS and don’t mind the burning: party on through the pain. Unless it’s certain nuts (info in link video) then see an allergist because it can get worse.

If you have OAS and avoid the produce because of the pain: cook your food (blanching works well) or as u/commanderepsilon suggests allergy shots

If you have OAS and don’t like produce: you can smugly tell people you’re not a picky eater, it’s allergies and have a specific diagnosis.