Allergy, Lettuce

Lettuce is commonly used in many food preparations, mainly sandwiches, soups, and salads. The plant's sap consists of lactucarium, an essential ingredient used in many traditional medicines. However, lettuce is also responsible for causing allergies.

There is a liquid transfer protein within lettuce, which is the primary cause of health complications. Consuming foods consisting of lettuce may lead to allergies. Hence, you might need to get a Lettuce Allergy test.

Some people might suffer from immediate lettuce allergy or experience delayed symptoms or allergic reactions. This is called delayed hypersensitivity and is caused due to the immune system.

Lettuce allergy involves multiple symptoms and conditions, such as:

• Digestive problems 
• Sneezing 
• Breathing problems 
• Eczema 
• Hives 
• Swollen and itchy lips, throat, and tongue 
• Coughing

If the lettuce allergy symptoms worsen, one might suffer from anaphylactic shock. This can decrease blood pressure rapidly and can prove to be fatal. Therefore, you must consult a physician whenever you experience allergic reactions.

Many gardeners and greenhouse workers who consume lettuce regularly may suffer from lettuce allergy symptoms. A proper examination is required to identify the allergen in this plant and prepare the patient for treatment. The best allergy examination, in this case, is the Lettuce Allergy Test, which can help the doctor identify the root cause of the lettuce allergy symptoms. The test requires a blood sample.

When the immune system encounters allergens present in lettuce, it might consider the allergen as a toxic or foreign substance. Then, the immune system starts producing IgE antibodies as a method to fight against the allergens in lettuce.

Doctors conduct the Lettuce Allergy Test to analyse the IgE antibody levels in the blood sample. After the production of IgE antibodies, the immune system also produces histamine and other chemicals. All this results in the lettuce allergy symptoms, which the doctor analyses through this test.

Even though there are no special preparation tips for the test, your doctor might ask you to wear half sleeve clothing. It will help them collect the blood sample conveniently from your veins. In addition, you might have to talk to the doctor about your current prescribed medications. It ensures that no drugs affect the test results or cause any health issues.

The Lettuce Allergy Test can also help doctors identify other allergies related to the lettuce allergy. It can help them prepare a proper treatment plan to prevent the worsening of symptoms.

Apollo 24|7 offers a comprehensive Lettuce Allergy Test to detect lettuce allergy in patients. 

Medically reviewed by Dr Jatin Ahuja, Infectious Diseases, Apollo Hospitals Indraprastha, South Delhi.