Foods That Affect Your Seasonal Allergies

The hallmark of food-pollen allergy syndrome is that the exact same fruits and vegetables that trigger these symptoms when the food is eaten raw can be eaten without any of these effects when the food is consumed cooked, said Costa.

So, while a taking a bite out of a fresh apple -- whether it's organic or conventionally grown -- might cause itching in the mouth and throat in some people, the same individuals could eat a slice of apple pie, spoon up some apple sauce or drink a glass of apple juice and be fine. It's also unlikely that apple jelly or dried apples would cause a problem.

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Only the fresh food causes the reaction and not the cooked, baked, microwaved, canned or processed forms -- all of which suggests that cooking or heating destroys the allergenic proteins in the food.

People with ragweed allergies might experience this reaction when they eat a banana, cantaloupe, cucumber, honeydew, watermelon and raw zucchini. Drinking chamomile tea, eating sunflower seeds or taking the herb echinacea might also provoke a response, since these are also in the same botanical family.

Grass pollen is related to substances found in melons, tomatoes, oranges, peaches and celery. And the pollen from alder trees might cross-react with apples, cherries, peaches, pears, celery, parsley, almonds and hazelnuts.

Not the Same Thing as a Food Allergy

Not everyone with pollen allergies develops this hypersensitivity. Roughly 25 percent of people with a significant pollen allergy -- meaning their symptoms are sufficient enough to require medication to be comfortable during allergy season -- may experience oral allergy syndrome, Costa said.

And yet, a good majority of those with hay fever, or allergic rhinitis, as physicians tend to call it, are often unaware that this reaction to foods has any connection to their seasonal allergies.

Although the itchy mouth and throat can occur any time of year, the reaction might be more common or severe in spring and fall when there's more pollen in the air.