Fresh or dried figs can cause allergic reactions when it comes in contact with the skin for several hours. There are patients that have experience allergic reactions just by touching fresh fig.
Causes Of Fig Allergies Rash
- Fig allergy rash may come from contact with the latex of unripe fig fruits which is usually made into a powder to be used for making meat tender, clarifying beverages, and rendering fat. Rash will appear as a result of irritation which has been a big problem for fig harvesters.
- The rash that can appear when a patient comes in contact with the latex of unripe fig fruits can be accompanied by inflammation, burning sensations, and redness.
- It has been studied that the leaf and root sap of a fig tree cause more allergic reaction and rashes than the unripe fruit and other parts of the tree.
- Psoralen and bergapten which are abundant in leaf and root saps of fig trees are considered to be the primary cause of the allergic reactions and the appearance of rashes.
- Seasons can also affect the prevalence of allergic reactions to figs. Summer and spring seasons provide a much higher concentration of psoralen and bergapten in the fig tree which means that it can cause more allergic reactions during this time.
- Besides rashes, phytophotodermatitis can also develop when a patient comes into contact with psoralen that is present in fig trees. This condition is characterized by hyperpigmentation, sunburns, and blisters. There also had been cases of anaphylaxis.
- Tests have shown that the main allergens that cause rashes when a fig fruit is ingested come from the skin and not the pulp.
- Different parts of the fig tree have different kinds of allergens which can cause several symptoms to appear and one of the most common ones are rashes.
Fig Allergy Syndrome Treatment
- Patients should avoid eating the fruit or byproducts of the fig tree along with coming in contact with its leaves and roots. This is to stop the allergy from aggravating.
- Antihistamines can be administered. These will manage the symptoms brought about by the allergic reaction by blocking the immune pathway.
- Epinephrine can be injected when patients will experience anaphylactic shocks due to the allergic reactions.
- Allergy immunotherapy had been considered to help in curing allergic reactions to the fruit or skin of the fruit of a fig tree and its other parts.
- There are also herbs that can help manage rash-like symptoms. Grape seed extracts which can be found in red wine has been proven to control any kind of mild allergic reactions including rashes that are brought about by reactions to different parts of the fig tree.