Ariana Grande, arguably the most in-demand among her contemporaries, is no doubt having the time of her life.
The award winner is currently enjoying herself on tour but she recently had to take a break after she had an allergy that she herself couldn’t believe had happened to her, which leads us to ask, could adults really develop an allergy?
Ariana Grande’s Case
The “Thank U, Next” singer shocked her fans when she took to Instagram to announce that she was rescheduling concerts in Florida because she was sick.
Ariana revealed that as per doctor’s orders, she had no choice but to devastatingly cancel the tour dates, but she did not specify what sickness she had. The following day, the songstress finally gave her fans updates.
She was diagnosed with a tomato allergy, which resulted in the closing of her throat that made her feel she was swallowing cactus. Ariana also found it unfair that an Italian woman has a tomato allergy. Meanwhile, it is worth noting that at mid-20s, it is odd that the former Nickelodeon star has developed an allergy because it is usually common among children. But could this really be possible?
What is a Food Allergy?
An allergy happens when your immune system overreacts to an allergen, and in this case, food. Specifically, your immune system sees the food that entered your body as a threat or danger, despite not really being the case, which prompts a protective action, hence, the allergy.
According to the American College of Asthma & Immunology, food allergies are most common among kids but adults can also suffer from them. In short, young and old, anyone can develop one, so Ariana’s case isn’t really the first one.
Why Do Adults Develop Food Allergies?
While that may be the case, it is not a cause of concern and should not prompt a panic-spree. Allergist Bruce Lanser said it is uncommon because only 4% of adults have food allergies. Of that figure, only a few have developed a food allergy as adults. The most common, Allergy & Asthma Network’s Purvi Parikh said, is fish and shellfish. Other foods that commonly cause allergies are milk, peanuts, eggs, treenuts, soy, and wheat.
While it is unclear if Ariana has been eating tomatoes her whole life or what, the expert said it can happen because of various reasons. Bruce explained that it’s just how it goes – that your body can just react over something even though you don’t have any problem with that certain type of food in the past.
Purvi also added that when bodies are exposed to something (an allergen) over a period of time, the immune system gets hypersensitive and therefore creates antibodies.