Spinachis not atop food allergen, but some people are allergic to it.
This article explains spinach allergy symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment.
Histamine intolerance is when the body cannot process high histamine levels naturally present in some foods.
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The inability to process histamine triggers when the enzymes your body requires to break down histamines are inhibited.
As a result, histamine enters the bloodstream and causes symptoms.
On the other hand,food allergiesare an abnormal immune system reaction to food.
Symptoms occur when the body misidentifies food as a harmful substance and overproduces histamine.
What Is histamine?
Histamine is a chemical that sends messages between cells.
Primarily, it works with the immune system to protect your body from foreign substances.
With allergies, the immune system overreacts to harmless substancesallergens.
When this happens, it produces excess histamine, resulting in allergy symptoms.
Spinach is ahigh-histamine food, which means it naturally has high levels of histamines.
Histamine intolerance is difficult to diagnose.
Often it requires ruling out food allergies first.
If your healthcare provider suspects histamine intolerance, they may recommend alow-histamine dietto see if it helps.
Symptoms
Like other food allergies, a spinach allergy can produce a wide range ofsymptoms.
Symptoms include:
Anaphylaxis is a life-threatening medical emergency.
Therefore, if you experience severe symptoms, call911or go to the emergency room immediately.
They may be best equipped to help you with a food allergy diagnosis.
Skin Test
Skin testsare considered the standard for diagnosing allergies.
These tests introduce a potential allergen to your skin by scraping or injecting a small amount.
A healthcare provider then watches your skin for a reaction.
Developing a rash, bump, or hives indicates an allergy to that substance.
Blood Test
Blood testsare accurate and help when someone cant tolerate a skin test.
For example, small children might have difficulty sitting still and not scratching for a skin test.
Blood tests look forimmunoglobulin E (IgE) antibodiesto different substances to confirm an allergy.
Oral Challenge
An oral challenge involves ingesting suspect foods under medical supervision.
Elimination Diet
Anelimination dietmay be part of establishing whether you have a food allergy or sensitivity.
In the diary, youll log everything you eat and any symptoms you notice.
In addition, medications can help in the event of accidental exposure.
Antihistamines
As the name suggests,antihistaminesblock the chemical histamine.
Therefore, they are the first-line treatment for allergy symptoms.
Antihistamines are available over the counter (OTC) and by prescription.
Antihistamines come infirst-generation or second-generation forms.
First-generation medications are the older types of medications.
They tend to produce more side effects, like sedation.
First-generation antihistamines include:
Second-generation antihistamines produce fewer side effects.
They include:
Epinephrine
Epinephrine(EpiPen) is a hormone that you use to treat anaphylaxis.
Fortunately, spinach isnt a common additive to foods.
When eating out, inform your server about your allergy to avoid the likelihood of cross-contamination.
Alternatives to spinach include vegetables like kale, Swiss chard, and baby salad greens.
Your primary care provider is an excellent place to start.
They may be able to coordinate allergy tests, or they might refer you to a specialist.
In addition, if you experience any severe anaphylactic reactions, seek medical attention immediately.
In addition, some people with histamine intolerance may react to eating spinach because it is a high-histamine food.
Allergy symptoms can include skin, gastrointestinal, nasal, and respiratory problems.
A severe anaphylactic reaction is less common with spinach but can occur with any allergy.
Diagnosis may involve tracking your food and eliminating spinach, reintroducing it, and evaluating symptoms.
In addition, skin, oral, and blood tests can help pinpoint the allergy.
It’s also good to keep some antihistamines on hand if you accidentally ingest spinach.
Work with a healthcare provider to identify which medication is best in your situation.
Food allergies are more common in children than adults.
However, anyone can develop a food allergy, including spinach, at any time in their life.
Children are more likely to outgrow food allergies than those who develop them later in life.
However, if you have histamine intolerance, sometimes how a food is cooked can affect histamine levels.
Spinach is not a common allergen.
American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Food allergy.
American College of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology.Food allergy.
