The Symptoms and Treatment of a Caffeine Allergy
Have you ever heard of a caffeine allergy or intolerance to caffeine? This allergy plagues many people, and not all of them realize that they have the allergy at all! If you are reading this, then the chances are that you have been experiencing symptoms that have led you to wonder if caffeine might be the culprit. We are going to start this article off by explaining the caffeine allergy in depth, including the symptoms and treatments.
Caffeine is actually a “psychoactive stimulant drug” that stimulates the central nervous system. In other words, it can be used to “wake up” both your body and your mind. Most people are aware that caffeine is found in coffee, tea, soda pop, as well as energy drinks; however it is also found in foods such as beans, fruit, and some vegetables. It is used as a pesticide to kill any insects that try to destroy the vegetation. Many psychoactive stimulants are not legal, however caffeine is considered 100% legal and is almost completely unregulated. Because caffeine is a stimulating drug, it can produce withdrawal symptoms in those who consume it on a regular basis and then suddenly stop ingesting it.
A person whose immune system often has a poor response to the stimulant is said to have a caffeine allergy. The symptoms present and the severity of the symptoms depend on how strong a person’s caffeine allergy is. In mild cases, the person may experience sneezing, an itchy mouth, hoarseness, difficulty breathing, hives, swollen throat/tongue/lips/face, difficulty swallowing, and eczema. Symptoms of a more severe caffeine allergy include: heart palpitations, pain in the chest, and hyperventilation. The symptoms don’t always show up as soon as the caffeine is ingested—sometimes it can take several hours before allergy symptoms begin to crop up. Some cases have been reported where people have gone into shock due to such a severe allergy to caffeine.
The physical symptoms are only one side of the coin. There are many side effects that caffeine can reap on one’s mind. If you wonder whether you may have a caffeine allergy, ask yourself if you suffer from any of the following: dizziness, mood swings, inability to concentrate, and restlessness. In some, the mental effects can be much more severe, even mimicking conditions such as bi-polar disorder, depression, and attention deficit disorder.
As doctors are still not sure why some people are able to handle caffeine and others are not, the most logical form of treatment is to simply eliminate caffeine from the diet as much as possible. Unfortunately, simply cutting caffeine from one’s life is extremely difficult, particularly for one who has an extreme caffeine allergy. As mentioned earlier, caffeine is often used as a form of pesticide for many fruits and vegetables, so unless a total conversion to organic foods is enforced, there will be some small amount of caffeine exposure. Even decaffeinated coffee still has a very small amount of caffeine that could present a problem for those who have a severe allergy to the substance. Over the counter pain killers are another unsuspected source of caffeine. Caffeine reportedly increases a medication’s effectiveness by 40%; therefore caution would have to be exercised even when shopping for medication.
If you are currently trying to eliminate caffeine from your diet, you may find that non-caffeine replacements help to soothe the mental dependency on caffeine. For instance, if you normally have a hot drink in the morning, such as coffee or tea, consider drinking a Chai latte, hot apple cider, or a malt drink. The idea is to ease the feeling of loss that you may experience by giving up some of your comfort foods and drinks.
If you are having trouble determining whether caffeine is the source of your mental or physical symptoms, consult with your doctor for an examination. Together, you and your doctor can figure out whether you are indeed intolerant to caffeine.