A woman allergic to fruits and vegetables has not eaten a single green for over 20 years – and says that a bite could kill her.
Chloé Raisbeck, 27, was diagnosed with a oral allergy syndrome (OEA) – an allergy to all substances derived from pollen – in January 2005 at the age of seven years.
She first realized that something was wrong when a bite of a school fishing swells her lips and her throat to itching – and she asked for help from the school’s nurses in May 2004.
After feeling that she was not taken seriously “, the same week, she had an apple and started to display the same” painful “symptoms.
Chloé Raisbeck is allergic to 15 different fruits, vegetables and nuts. Liliya Trott – Stock.adobe.com
She was taken to doctors, where a blood test confirmed that she was suffering from allergies, before being referred to an allergist – who diagnosed her with the OEA after a skin bite test revealed a whole list of food reactions.
Chloé is now allergic to 15 different fruits, vegetables and nuts – including bananas, kiwis, carrots, almonds and peppers – and has avoided eating it five a day for 20 years.
She has developed a “fear of eating” and is now based on multivitamin supplements to get enough nutrients every day – and wears an Epipen everywhere in case she went in an anaphylactic shock.
Chloé, Solihull recruitment consultant, West Midlands, said: “My allergies came out of nowhere.
“I was able to eat fruits and vegetables normally without symptoms.
“But since the taking of this fishing, my relationship with food has changed.
“If I eat one of my five a day, I develop swollen lips, a itchy throat and pieces in my mouth.
“I’m lucky that my symptoms are not too bad, but each time I eat, there is a constant fear.
“It made it very difficult to eat – and I will have to count on giving myself multivitamins every day to treat my allergies.”
Before the age of seven, Chloé normally ate fruits and vegetables and had no symptoms.
But after a series of undesirable reactions – including swollen lips and itchy gums – from a fishing and an apple in May 2004, Chloé claims that her allergies were “not so serious” and “not to worry”.
“I went to the school nurse because my lips started to swell, and I could feel my throat shower,” she said.
“They said they did not worry and rejected my symptoms; It has never been followed.
“This same week, I had an apple, and that’s when things started in a spiral.
“My allergies has worsened.
“I started to develop bumps in my mouth and I could feel my throat start to itch.”
Symptoms of raisbeck include a throat of itching and bumps in his mouth. Thodonal – Stock.adobe.com
Chloé told her mother, Trisha, 56, and she was rushed to her local doctors, where a blood test revealed allergies – apple, peaches, nectarines, plums and cherries.
But months later, Chloé began to discover other foods that gave him similar reactions – such as kiwi and almonds.
Chloé said: “My mom and I still didn’t know what caused these reactions, so we returned to doctors – and they then referred to an allergist, where I had a skin bite test.
“It turns out that I was allergic to a lot of food.”
Start and end your informed day from our newsletters
Morning report and evening update: your source for today’s best stories
Thank you for registering!
Chloé received a diagnosis of oral allergy syndrome (OEA) in January 2005 at Solihull hospital.
It is now allergic to 15 different fruits, vegetables and nuts.
The condition affects only 2% of the British population – and its causes and symptoms are generally linked to hay fever.
“My allergists tell me that I could potentially die by eating a single fruit or entering the anaphylaxis was terrifying,” she said.
“I was given an Epipen and other antihistamines, which was confusing for a seven -year -old child.
“Since then, my relationship with food has been very difficult.”
There are certain fruits and vegetables that Chloé has never tried because she is too afraid of a reaction – including strawberries, melon, mango and blueberries – and she claims to have eaten a single green for 20 years.
Chloé often brings her own food to social events to avoid “accidentally” to eat fruits and vegetables and skip “clumsy conversations” on her food choices.
In more extreme cases, she would ask her boyfriend to brush her teeth after eating everything she is allergic, to prevent a reaction on her lips if they were to kiss.
She said, “It’s a mare when people cook for me because my condition is difficult to believe.
“It makes me fear that they will not take it seriously, and I could end up badly.
“When I go to the supermarket or to the restaurant, I google or often search for ingredients to ensure my safety.
“He has resumed a large part of my life and has become somewhat a phobia.”
Chloé’s diet is restrictive and generally consists of “beige” foods – including pasta and rice – and it often runs between fish, meat and dairy products for many of its meals.
It is based on multivitamin daily supplements for missing nutrients – because there is no remedy or specific treatments for disorder – and without them, it can often feel tired.
Carrots are included in the long list of foods it cannot eat. Leroy – Stock.adobe.com
However, this year, Chloé began to present foods that she had never eaten before to see if she would react – and have now started to eat raspberries.
She hopes to establish a healthy relationship with food and not eat in fear.
Chloé said, “I will be allergic to these foods for the rest of my life.
“So I try to reintroduce things that I have so afraid of eating.
“In the coming years, I hope to have more varied diets and that I can eat more things.
“But for the moment, I’m going to take it slowly, a bite at a time.”
