I've just learnt a painful fact. Mangoes, that sweet tasting yellow tropical fruit, belong to the same plant family as poison ivy. Yes, you read that right.
It all started when my wife brought back a mango from work on Tuesday. She didn't want it, so i could enjoy the whole fruit myself. As a mango lover, i wasn't about to complain. Within ten minutes and that sucker was gone! To be honest, i felt good afterwards. I got my vitamins, got my fiber. What's there not to love about mangoes?
So everything's fine until half an hour before bedtime. I feel this itch in my throat and i found that a little odd since i had been drinking a lot of water. So i drink even more water, a full liter and a half, and then head to bed.
The next morning i wake up with what is probably the worst sore throat i've had for a long while and a many ulcers in my mouth to match. Not a pretty sight i tell you. It's been three days now and the effects are starting to wear off so i thought i'd share this on Steemit and hope it serves as a warning.
The pain was so intense i had to find out what was causing it. Apparently, the reaction is caused by a chemical named urushiol, which is the same chemical responsible for poison ivy rash.
This chemical can be found on the skin of the mango fruit, so if you come into contact, be prepared for some form of allergic reaction. Do not bite the skin of the mango or put it in your mouth!. I cannot emphasize this enough.
Here are some of the symptoms of a mango allergy to look out for:
Now that i had diagnosed the cause, what's the cure?
If you're suffering from an allergic reaction to mango, the prescribed cure is often anti-histamines. That said, the body gets rid of the histamines in due time so waiting it out is another possible option, although it is very uncomfortable.
Thank you for reading and i hope you've learnt something useful about eating mangoes and mango poisoning. The next time you eat mangoes and have a sore throat, you know what's causing it.
