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As we get older, it becomes a lot easier to get into the groove of a healthy routine; we finally feel like we know our bodies.
But for many adults out there, the exact opposite can occur over time—and that unsure feeling may creep up at any moment.
It’s a common belief that we develop allergies as children, and they either stick with us for life or slowly disappear as we age.
What most people don’t realize, however, is that you can actually become allergic to something new at any age.
That’s the brutal lesson Felicia Sabartinelli had to learn when she popped a couple of grapes into her mouth at 19-year-old.
“I ate one grape with no problem. When I put the second grape in my mouth I noticed my throat began to itch but didn’t think much about it. By the time I finished the third grape, my throat began to close and I was calling out for help,” she told Seventeen.
“I was rushed to the ER, where the doctor told me I must have developed an allergy to grapes. I had literally no idea that could happen. He recommended that I see an allergist and stop eating grapes immediately,” Sabartinelli said, adding that she never made the appointment, since she was just a “broke college kid.”
Although she stopped eating grapes entirely, Sabartinelli’s allergies kept coming back and continued getting worse over time.
Finally, at 24-years-old, Sabartinelli bit the bullet and went to see an allergist, where she was quickly diagnosed with Oral Allergy Syndrome.
Also known as “pollen-food syndrome,” the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology reports that OAS:
“This reaction occurs because the proteins found in some fruits and vegetables are very similar to those found in pollen. These proteins can confuse the immune system and cause an allergic reaction or make existing symptoms worse, which is referred to as cross-reactivity.”
For Sabartinelli, the OAS diagnosis means she can never eat “apples, carrots, celery, cherries, hazelnuts, kiwis, peaches, pears, plums, melons, oranges, tomatoes, bananas, cucumbers, sunflower seeds, zucchinis, [the list goes on].”
These days, her allergic reactions are so serious and instantaneous that simply sitting next to anybody eating one of the foods on her ever-growing list can turn into a life-threatening experience.
“My friends are all relatively healthy and try to be aware of my condition,” she told Seventeen. “But because it is so unique, it can be difficult to attend all dinners or outings comfortably.”
While she can’t totally avoid coming in contact with these foods forever, Sabartinelli makes sure to leave the house prepared every single morning.
Along with her cell phone and eyeliner, she keeps an EpiPen and Benadryl in her purse at all times.
