As reported in a recent news story in AOL Health by Catherine Donaldson-Evans, experts from the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) say that kissing and other intimate contact can trigger an allergic reaction to those with acute sensitivities to things like eggs, dairy and nuts.
That’s because allergens can linger in a person’s saliva for four to six hours after consumption, and sometimes longer — even up to a full day. So if the apple of your eye has recently eaten something you’re allergic to, it may almost feel as though you’ve bitten into the forbidden food yourself.
“If you have a history of significant or life threatening reactions to foods, you might have exposure by intimate contact like kissing, and an allergic reaction could occur,” Dr. Cliff Bassett, an ACAAI board member, told AOL Health.
Though such reactions are fairly rare, they can and do occur. Bassett, the medical director of Allergy & Asthma Care of New York, said one of his egg-allergy patients has attacks when he kisses his girlfriend if she’s recently eaten eggs — even after she brushes her teeth.
“Most people don’t think it’s a major issue. They brush their teeth. They don’t think it’s real,” Bassett said. “They need to educate their family members, their lovers, their girlfriends or boyfriends, about refraining from those foods if they’re going to have any oral contact. The cause and effect can be deadly.”