Mushrooms & Skin Rashes

If you develop skin rashes after you touch or eat mushrooms, you are most likely allergic to them. The Cleveland Clinic states that if you have a mold allergy, you may experience an allergic reaction when you eat mushrooms. Mushrooms are a part of the fungus family and can trigger mold allergy symptoms such as skin rashes. Stop eating mushrooms and consult your doctor.

Mold Allergy Connection

If you’re allergic to mold, your body overreacts when you inhale mold spores. Mold allergies are commonly related to allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, and are at a high during the summer and autumn. Mold spores are invisible and are carried by the wind. When you inhale mold spores, your immune system reacts begins to fight off the mold by creating antibodies. The antibodies trigger the production of histamine by mast cells. Histamine will cause inflammation in soft tissue, such as in the skin.

Mold and Mushrooms

According to the Cleveland Clinic, mushrooms are a high-risk food for people who have a mold allergy, because they can contain the type of mold spores that trigger an allergic reaction. You should avoid eating mushrooms, cheeses, dried fruit and pickled products if you’ve been diagnosed with a mold allergy. Some people even develop a skin reaction simply by touching a mushroom.

Skin Reactions

These rashes can appear anywhere on the body, but typically develop on the face or around the mouth. Allergic contact dermatitis is a condition that causes a rash after you touch an allergen. The part of your skin that was exposed to the allergen will become inflamed, itchy and swollen.

Treatment

Treat skin rashes from a mold allergy by avoiding mushrooms and maintaining a mold-free home. If rashes develop, take an oral antihistamine and apply hydrocortisone cream to the affected area. Treat allergic contact dermatitis by washing the affected area with soap and water to remove residue from the mushroom.