Is it possible to be allergic to sweets

During an allergic reaction, the immune system releases histamine, which causes many of the symptoms experienced during an allergic reaction. Sugar intolerance does not involve the immune system response that occurs with an allergy. Instead, someone who is intolerant of a certain sugar has trouble digesting or processing it. Sugar intolerance is relatively common. It causes a range of digestive issues, which vary in severity from person to person. As the body tries to digest the sugar, people may experience symptoms a few minutes to several hours after eating the sugar.

The symptoms of sugar intolerance often follow a pattern whereby the person may feel nausea or cramps first, followed by gas and bloating as the sugar passes through the digestive system. Sometimes a person will experience diarrhea as the sugar exits the body, but this is likely to stop once the person has stopped eating the sugar that bothers them. Those who are intolerant to sugar may also show signs of restlessness or inattention.

One typical example of sugar intolerance is lactose intolerance. According to the National Institutes of Health NIH , up to 65 percent of people around the world experience some level of lactose intolerance. Someone who is lactose intolerant will have trouble digesting lactose, which is the sugar found in milk. This intolerance causes one or more of the digestive issues noted. People with certain ethnic backgrounds are more likely to be intolerant to lactose, including those who are:.

Some people with other digestive issues, such as irritable bowel syndrome IBS , celiac disease , and functional gastrointestinal disorders FGD may also have difficulty digesting certain sugars, such as fructose and lactose. Intolerance to specific sugars may cause other problems as well.

Someone who is intolerant to glucose may also have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes. Others who are intolerant to fructose may be at risk for kidney failure. Food allergies or intolerances can cause life-threatening complications, which is why people who experience serious food allergies should carry medication with them at all times.

Because sugar is the primary source of energy for cells, people who have food allergies or intolerance to certain sugar types will need to find other ways to fuel their body. Keeping a log of everything that they eat throughout the day can help a person discover what type of sugar is causing the intolerance. People can then eliminate these trigger foods from their diet. Someone with a food allergy to something mixed in with sugar may need to remove all forms of this food from the diet to avoid reactions.

Additionally, if intolerance to sugar occurs, people need to avoid foods containing that particular sugar. People may have intolerances to both natural and processed forms of sugar, which can be found in the following:. Certain unexpected snacks and food items also contain sugars, such as pasta sauces, chips, and salad dressings. It is important that people with problems with sugar read the labels of everything they eat to avoid potential reactions.

People should also read food labels carefully because sugar and other sweeteners have many different names. Many people who are intolerant to a specific type of sugar may not have an adverse reaction to certain sugar substitutes. Cases of an allergic reaction to sugar are rare, but they do happen. If you have an immediate reaction after consuming sugar—your throat feels tight, you're having trouble breathing, you break out in a skin rash, etc. In severe cases, an allergic reaction could progress to anaphylaxis if not addressed quickly and early.

And if you're unsure at this point whether or not you have this type of allergy or whether it's life-threatening or not , it's safer to err on the side of caution. In severe cases, you may be treated with epinephrine a medication that can reverse anaphylaxis and then possibly a steroid like cortisone to reduce inflammation and get the reaction under control, FARE says.

Epinephrine is generally harmless, so even if it's unclear how severe your allergy is, it's safe to use, FARE explains. If your allergic reaction is more mild, you may just need an antihistamine , FARE says. If you are diagnosed with a severe sugar allergy, you will likely need to carry an epinephrine auto-injector EpiPen with you in case of emergency.

She also encourages eating a lot of protein and making sure to have non-starchy vegetables, while avoiding potatoes and corn the starches in them convert to sugar in your body. Of course, you may not need to go that extreme with your diet. Registered dietitian-nutritionist Karen Ansel tells SELF that it's a good idea to try to narrow down what type of sugar you think you're allergic or intolerant to.

She recommends keeping a food diary and recording what causes flare-ups. SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional. These are the main types of sugar that may cause intolerance or sensitivity. If you suspect you have a sugar allergy or intolerance, see your doctor to be sure.

If you have even the tiniest hint of a sweet tooth, you likely know the exact ins and outs of how indulging in sugary-sweet treats makes you feel — for better or for worse. Feel particularly terrible after a holiday party, night out, or one too many trips to the candy and donuts in the break room and you might start to wonder if your body actually doesn't handle sugar all that well.

While sugar allergies are possible, they're rare, but there are a lot of signs your body is intolerant to sugar , which is more likely to be what's ailing you. So what's the difference between an allergy and intolerance anyway? They're no joke. Food intolerances, on the other hand, aren't usually life-threatening.

That's not to say that they don't cause problems of their own, but they won't kill you. There are probably more things that can qualify as "sugar" than you realized. Lactose, maltose, dextrose, sucrose, and the like are all forms of sugar. The -ose suffix can help you figure out if something might be a sugar, so it's handy to keep that in mind when reading labels.

If you think that you're intolerant to sugar or sugar alcohols — Jones says some people are extra sensitive to those as well — there are a few things you need to look out for. And your gut is at the center of it all.

Bloating is never comfortable. You just feel puffy and lethargic and, well, gross.