How to Manage a Cinnamon Allergy
If you’re having an allergic reaction, you may experience:

• tingling, itching, and swelling of the lips, face, and tongue
• swelling in other parts of the body
• trouble breathing
• wheezing
• nasal congestion
• hives
• itching
• abdominal pain
• diarrhea
• dizziness
• nausea
• vomiting
• fainting

A rare, but serious, reaction is known as anaphylaxis. This can cause you to go into shock. You should seek immediate medical care if you or someone around you has an anaphylactic reaction.

What Causes an Allergic Reaction?

Cinnamon is one of the most common spice allergy triggers. Breathing, eating, or touching the spice can trigger an allergic reaction in some people.
Although it’s uncommon, reactions can be caused by artificial cinnamon flavor found in gum, toothpaste, and mouthwashes. A rare reaction to artificial cinnamon is called contact stomatitis, which can cause a burning or itching in the mouth. The good news is that the condition improves as soon as you stop ingesting the cinnamon flavor.
Cinnamyl alcohol or cinnamaldehyde may be used in fragrances and can also trigger a reaction.

The symptoms of an allergy can range from mild sneezing to life-threatening anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis can happen when your body attempts to neutralize the allergen with antibodies. Minimal contact with the allergen is needed to trigger the antibodies. The amount necessary to trigger a reaction can decrease with each contact. Your body may go into shock if this happens.
If you or someone around you goes anaphylactic shock, seek immediate medical attention.

Diagnosing a Cinnamon Allergy

Multiple tests may be needed to diagnose a cinnamon allergy. You doctor may order a blood test to detect hypersensitivity to the spice through the antibodies in your blood. A skin patch test may also be used to determine what symptoms you’re experiencing and if they suggest you have a cinnamon allergy.
If you believe that you may have a cinnamon or spice allergy, schedule an appointment with your doctor. Together, the two of you can work through your symptoms and determine what to do next.

How to Treat a Cinnamon Allergy

If you’re experiencing symptoms of an allergic reaction, it’s recommended that you take Benadryl. This should provide relief in as little as 15 minutes.
If you anticipate contact with this allergen and your doctor has made it clear that moderate contact is OK, it’s recommended that you take an antihistamine. This will prepare your body and limit or reduce the severity of any symptoms you may experience.
Seek emergency medical attention as soon as possible if you’re having trouble breathing.

How to Manage Your Allergy and Prevent Future Reactions

An allergist can help you better understand your allergy and work with you to develop a plan of action. Custom-made management plans usually include tracking triggers that cause a reaction. Another common treatment involves strict avoidance, although that can be a very hard thing to do.
Carefully reading labels on food and personal care products is essential. A complete ingredient list should be on the product, and the ingredients are listed from highest to lowest concentration.
Unfortunately, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn’t regulate spices, which makes it hard to read labels and know which products contain cinnamon. Be aware that fragrances and flavorings aren’t required to be listed by specific chemical name and are often generically indicated as “fragrance.”
Besides reading labels, you’ll need to think ahead about where you’re eating. If you’re going out to eat, you’ll probably need to talk to the restaurant staff. If you’re going to travel, plan where you’ll be getting your food and if you need to provide any of your own.

The Takeaway

Although having cinnamon allergies may require you to restrict your diet and what products you use, they’re manageable. You should schedule an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible if you suspect that you have a cinnamon allergy. Together, you can work to diagnose your symptoms and come up with a plan of action.

If you’re aware of your cinnamon allergy, know that you’re not alone in this. Work with your doctor or an allergist to develop a personalized treatment plan. A personalized plan will allow you to adjust your regular consumption or product use to better suit your needs. 

Cinnamon is a mild spice that is harvested from the inner bark of several trees native to China, India, and Southeast Asia.
It's a popular ingredient in many foods, drinks, and personal care products.
Although cinnamon has been prized for many centuries for its medicinal properties and its range of health benefits, not everyone should consume this spice.
Some individuals experience an allergic reaction to cinnamon. This is caused by a high sensitivity to the proteins in the spice.

Contents of this article:

1. Living with a cinnamon allergy
2. Symptoms of cinnamon allergy
3. Diagnosing a cinnamon allergy
4. Treatment for cinnamon allergy

Living with a cinnamon allergy

It's recommended that those with a cinnamon allergy work closely with an allergist to manage their condition.

Living with a cinnamon allergy requires care as spices are so common in cooking and cosmetics.
The American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology state that patients living with spice allergies can experience a low quality of life, restrictive diets, and even malnutrition as they attempt to avoid trigger foods. For these reasons, it's recommended that those who are allergic to cinnamon and other spices work closely with an allergist to manage their condition.
Consulting a nutritionist or dietician may also be useful to ensure nutritional needs are met.
Other strategies for living with a cinnamon allergy include paying close attention to product labels when shopping, preparing meals when possible, and informing restaurant staff of allergies when dining out.

Cinnamon-containing foods and drinks

Cinnamon can be found in a wide range of foods and beverages including:

• Baked goods
• Puddings and desserts
• Ice-cream
• Candy and chewing gum
• Breakfast cereals and cereal bars
• Ethnic foods such as curries and flavored rice
• Spice blends such as Chinese five spice or garam masala
• Soups and sauces
• Herbal teas, specialty coffees, and other drinks
• Restaurant and takeout meals

People should be aware that the United States Food and Drug Administration allow some ingredients, including cinnamon, to be listed under headings such as "flavors," "spices," or "flavoring." Cinnamon may also be listed on labels as "cassia" or "mixed spice."
Cinnamon can also be found in personal hygiene products such as toothpaste and mouthwash, and in fragrances and perfumes. In these products, it may simply be labeled as "fragrance" or "flavoring."

Cinnamon replacement options for cooking

Cinnamon can be replaced with similar spices when cooking at home. Possible substitutes include:

• Allspice
• Anise
• Caraway
• Cloves
• Fennel
• Ginger
• Mace
• Nutmeg
• Vanilla

Symptoms of cinnamon allergy

According to the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, approximately 2 percent of those with food allergies live with a spice allergy. Cinnamon is one of the more common spice allergies.
Symptoms can be triggered by breathing, eating, or even touching the spice. They vary from person to person and can range from mild to severe. Some common symptoms include:

Many foods contain cinnamon but cinnamon can be replaced with similar spices when cooking at home.

• Nausea
• Stomach pain
• Diarrhea
• Vomiting
• Tingling, itching or swelling of the face or other parts of the body
• Difficulty breathing
• Hives
• Dizziness
• Fainting
• Rashes, inflammation, irritation, or blistering of the skin

Complications: Anaphylaxis

In rare cases, cinnamon allergy may cause anaphylaxis, a potentially fatal, severe allergic reaction.
Anaphylaxis requires urgent medical attention and is marked by a sudden drop in blood pressure, difficulty breathing, loss of consciousness, and shock. If left untreated, it can lead to coma or even death.
An anaphylactic reaction may occur in the seconds or minutes after exposure to an allergen. Occasionally, it can take place 30 minutes or more after exposure.

Diagnosing a cinnamon allergy

People who have reactions to multiple foods, or unrelated foods, should consider the possibility of a cinnamon allergy. If reactions occur after consuming pre-packaged or restaurant foods, but don't occur after eating homemade versions of the same items, a spice allergy should also be looked into.
It's important to remember that allergy symptoms can develop after touching or inhaling cinnamon and other spices. People should check personal care products and other household items thoroughly to see if they contain cinnamon.
Keeping a record of the foods, drinks, and other items that trigger symptoms can be very helpful when diagnosing allergies.
Working with a doctor or allergy specialist is important in the diagnosis of a cinnamon allergy. These healthcare professionals can recommend suitable blood tests, skin prick tests, or diets to find the allergen accurately.

Cinnamon allergy or intolerance?

A true food allergy occurs when the body's immune system mistakenly identifies a specific substance in that food as harmful. Certain antibodies are then released to destroy the allergen. Once the food is consumed again - even in tiny quantities - the antibodies immediately signal the release of chemicals which cause the various allergy symptoms.
Although an intolerance to a particular food can cause many of the same symptoms as a true allergy, the antibodies will not be present. According to the Mayo Clinic, many people with an intolerance can eat limited amounts of their problem foods without having any adverse reactions.

Individuals with a mugwort pollen allergy may also be allergic to cinnamon due to cross-reactivity between proteins found in these two substances.

Working out the difference between a cinnamon allergy and a cinnamon intolerance is best done by working with an allergist or doctor.

Risk factors for developing cinnamon allergy

Due to the increasing use of spices in both food and personal care products, some experts anticipate a rise in spice allergies, including cinnamon allergy.
Women are more likely to develop such an allergy, as they are exposed to larger quantities of spices than men are, through greater use of beauty products and fragrances.
The Norwegian Asthma and Allergy Association state that those who experience a mugwort pollen allergy may also be allergic to cinnamon. This is due to cross-reactivity between the proteins of these two substances. Such allergy symptoms may worsen from late summer until fall for this reason.

Treatment for cinnamon allergy

Treating a cinnamon allergy usually requires that the patient completely avoids the spice, or at least limits their exposure to it.
Symptoms of an allergic reaction can be relieved by taking a dose of Benadryl. An oral antihistamine is also effective at reducing allergy symptoms and can be used as a preventive measure should exposure to cinnamon be possible.
Once diagnosed with a food allergy, patients should be prescribed an epinephrine auto-injector by their doctor or allergist. This should be used as treatment should anaphylaxis or severe breathing problems occur.
Children with cinnamon allergies and their caretakers should also be issued with an epinephrine auto-injector, particularly as fatal and near-fatal food allergy reactions often take place outside the home.

When to see a doctor

Contact a doctor if a cinnamon or another food allergy is suspected. In cases of anaphylaxis, people should seek emergency medical assistance.

Written by Jayne Leonard

  Contact stomatitis is an uncommon allergic reaction affecting the inside of the mouth caused by contact with an allergen, usually flavourings, metals or other components in oral hygiene products, foods, dental restorations and medications. It may also be called allergic contact stomatitis to distinguish this form from intraoral irritant reactions.
Stomatitis means a sore mouth.

Stomatitis to contact with rubber glove during dental procedure

Who gets contact stomatitis and why?

Contact stomatitis is a delayed hypersensitivity (Type IV) reaction to a chemical in contact with the lining of the mouth. It occurs in people already sensitized to the allergen. However it is quite uncommon compared to contact allergic dermatitis or contact cheilitis probably because:

1. saliva constantly flushes the mouth so chemicals are diluted and do not stay in contact with the mucosa for very long
2. there is a good blood supply to the lining of the mouth meaning any chemical absorbed through the mucosa is quickly removed from the area
3. the lining of the mouth is not well keratinised so chemicals are less likely to bind to keratin protein to form an allergen.

Rarely contact urticaria may present as a stomatitis.

Major sources of allergens causing contact stomatitis

Oral hygiene products	Toothpaste Dental floss Mouthwash
Foods	Chewing gum Sweets/candies/lollies Foods especially flavoured with cinnamon
Dental restorations	Orthodontic wires – brackets, bands Dental prostheses – dentures, plates Dental cement Dental restorations Dental amalgam Composite resin Gold
Medications – topical	Antibiotics Anaesthetics Antiseptics Corticosteroids

There are many chemicals that have been identified as responsible for contact stomatitis.

Chemicals causing contact stomatitis

Flavourings and preservatives ( food additives )	Cinnamon (cinnamaldehyde, cinnamon essential oil), carvone, spearmint essential oil, menthol essential oil, dodecyl gallate – see fragrance allergy
Metals	Nickel, palladium, gold, mercury, zinc
Dental prostheses	Formaldehyde, acrylate monomer, colophony
Rubber /Latex	Due to gloves, rubber dams, etc

Clinical features of contact stomatitis

The symptoms and signs of an acute contact stomatitis usually develop within hours of contact with the allergen. The chronic form occurs when the allergen is always in the mouth such as with a dental restoration.
The pattern will depend on what form the allergen is in. For example if the allergen is in a removable dental prosthesis, the pattern will reflect the shape and area of contact between the prosthesis and the oral mucosa. The reaction may be generalised when due to a toothpaste or mouthwash. Stomatitis due to a dental restoration or orthodontic devices will be adjacent to the restored tooth or wires.
All parts of the mouth can be affected. However, the most common sites involved in contact stomatitis are:

• Sides of the tongue
• Gums
• Inside of the cheeks
• Hard palate

Contact stomatitis has a number of possible clinical features that may occur in various combinations. These include:

• Burning
• Swelling – may mimic contact urticaria or angioedema
• Redness
• Cracking
• Ulcers, erosions – erosive stomatitis
• Small blisters
• Peeling
• White patches or lines
• Pain

A lichenoid reaction caused by amalgam is also a form of contact stomatitis but is called lichenoid amalgam reaction and is a type of oral lichen planus.
Plasma cell gingivitis is another specific form of contact stomatitis.

How is contact stomatitis diagnosed?

The diagnosis of contact stomatitis is mainly clinical based on history and examination. However investigations may be done to exclude other possible diagnoses and to try to identify the responsible allergen.
A mucosal biopsy may be required to exclude other conditions such as various forms of oral leukoplakia, trauma, oral candidiasis (thrush), oral lichen planus and Oral lichenoid drug eruption, lupus erythematosus or discoid lupus, or oral cancer . The histology of contact stomatitis itself is nonspecific. However the presence of many plasma cells may be suggestive of a contact allergy.
The likely source of the allergen will often be identified on the history and examination with improvement when the source is avoided. Recurrence of the stomatitis following rechallenge with the allergen confirms the cause. Patch testing, including with the patient’s own products, may be helpful in identifying the responsible allergen but false negatives are common. The relevance of a positive patch test reaction must be assessed in the clinical setting.

Treatment of contact stomatitis

The most important treatment for contact stomatitis is avoidance of the allergen. If it is due to a flavouring or preservative in food or dental hygiene products, the patient should be advised to stop using the product. It may take up to 2 weeks for complete resolution. A topical steroid application may be required for persistent, severe or chronic reactions.
In one case due to an acrylic monomer in a new denture, prolonged boiling of the denture resulted in full curing of the acrylate and the stomatitis resolved.
However when the contact stomatitis is due to a dental restoration (particularly gold) or orthodontic device (usually nickel), replacement of the restoration or device may be considered if the stomatitis reaction is clearly related by site to the restoration/device and a positive patch test to the metal (eg nickel sulphate hexahydrate or gold sodium thiosulphate) has been shown.