Citric Acid Allergy

Citric acid is very common in our everyday lives. It’s in every citrus fruit such as oranges, limes, lemons and more. In addition, it’s a very common additive to food and drinks. That’s why having this allergy can make it hard to discover and even harder to deal with. However, if you take the proper steps to discover and deal with this allergy, you can live a life without worrying much about it.

When a person has an allergy, they are almost always aware of it in some way. They can be mild symptoms or severe and the symptoms can take anywhere from minutes to hours to appear, but the person usually knows when they are having a reaction to something. Symptoms of this sensitivity vary quite a bit, but some common symptoms are rashes, severe stomachaches, vomiting, swelling of the mouth and tongue, heartburn and difficulty breathing. These symptoms can be severe enough to need medical attention and might even be life-threatening. If you suspect you have an allergy to the food you’re eating or the liquid you’re drinking, you should try to figure out exactly what it is as soon as you can.

As stated before, citric acid allergies can be hard to pinpoint. You may feel the symptoms, but how do you know where they’re from? A doctor can do various tests to discover what a person is allergic to. In addition, finding out if anyone in your family history has any notable allergies can help determine what you might be allergic to. You can also do some detective work yourself and take notes about the foods you eat every day. When you have a reaction, look through the food you ate just before the reaction. Take note of the ingredients of each food item and try to connect any patterns as time goes on.

This allergy may seem like a very difficult thing to deal with. This acid is used in food, drinks, prescription medications, shampoos and conditioners and more, so how can you deal with this allergy? The most obvious thing to do first is avoid citric acid as much as you possibly can. Read the ingredients of everything you buy, even non-food items, to ensure that there is no citric acid in it. It also may be a very common additive, but there are almost always alternatives available to you that don’t include citric acid. Citrus fruits need to be avoided altogether, but this doesn’t mean you need to give up eating all fruits. There are other delicious fruits available that do not contain citric acid. Fruits like watermelon, apples, grapes, bananas and more are free of citric acid and are safe for those with a citric acid allergy.

Proper research on anything you consume can save you from a lot of hassle and risks. Bookmark any useful research sites, take physical notes you can even keep a journal of which foods are and are not safe for you to consume as an easy reference when buying or eating food. If you have a reaction to a food item that you haven’t noted, ensure that you make a note of it for future reference. After you’ve done some research and gone through a few shopping trips, you will be able to cut it from your everyday life more and more easily.

This allergy may be difficult to discover and work around, but it’s far from an impossible task. With a little research and some careful shopping, you can eat and live as well as you were before you discovered your allergy.