Ariana Grande cancels shows due to 'unfortunate,' 'unfair' food allergy

The singer was forced to cancel two shows due to an allergic reaction.

May 29, 2019, 6:52 PM

After being forced to postpone two shows this week, Ariana Grande gave fans an update on her health.

In an Instagram post, the singer wrote that she's developed an "unfortunate" food allergy to one of her favorite foods -- tomatoes -- and after she ate them, her throat "pretty much closed."

She added that she will "make it up to" her fans in Tampa and Orlando by returning in November; Live Nation Florida clarified on Twitter that her Tampa show will be Nov. 24 and the Orlando concert will be Nov. 25.

"Still feels like i’m swallowing a cactus but slowly making progress! thank u all for your love and understanding," she wrote. “p.s. there is NOTHING MORE UNFAIR THAN AN ITALIAN WOMAN DEVELOPING AN ALLERGY TO TOMATOES IN HER MID TWENTIES.......”

Grande, 25, wrote on her Instagram story on Tuesday that she woke up "incredibly sick" and was advised by her physician to postpone her performances. The news, the Florida native added, left her "so beyond devastated."

One recent study found that nearly 11% of adults experience food allergies. Half of those adults reported developing the allergies after age 18, according to the study published by the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).

An adult-onset allergy can occur out of the blue and anywhere from minutes to hours after consuming a food, according to ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr. Jennifer Ashton.

"As so many adults are experiencing this, the adults and the people around them do need to be able to recognize the symptoms," she said Thursday on "Good Morning America."

Symptoms of an allergy attack can include everything from skin irritations like hives or eye swelling to digestive issues like nausea or vomiting to fainting and life-threatening or deadly anaphylaxis, according to Ashton.

A person who suffers from an allergy attack needs to see an allergist to get formally tested, according to Ashton. Once a person is diagnosed with an allergy, they must carry an epinephrine auto-injector with them at all times, she noted.