As with most other allergens, an allergy to corn can be ingestion-reactive, inhalation-reactive, and contact-reactive. I conducted a survey in one of the corn allergy support groups which was addressed to those who are inhalation-reactive to corn, and how this particular reaction impacts their daily lives. Note that corn is ubiquitous and is EXEMPT from FDA labeling requirements.
Reprinted with permission:
"I was cooking polenta for my children, and 24 hours later my corn-reactive headache set in. For the next 5 days I was writhing in pain from the fumes of the cooking corn." - D.M.
"Inhalation reaction for us meant our first significant anaphylaxis reaction we had was when we went to a pizza place for a pickup order with my daughter on her carseat while waiting for the pizza. She went anaphylactic within minutes and she was LUCKY we were across the street from Boston Childrens Hospital. I cant take her grocery shopping with me because supermarkets have bakery areas and she has reacted when walking close to it. We rarely go to a restaurant(maybe twice a year) when we do go, we make sure the restaurant is more about cooking whole foods and not fast foods. We also ask to sit by the door so we dont get smell from the kitchen and if we need to leave fast we can. We cover her with a blanket when we take her to thw hospital to minimize exposure to the smell of hand sanitizer which she reacts to. One time we went to her uncles house for a party and the guests were eating chips next to her, and she reacted and we had to give her Benadryl. We ask her doctors and nurses to wash their hands and not use hand sanitizer. Her social life is non existent. Thats life when you have an airborne allergy to corn. She’s 2." - G.J.
"I'm inhalation sensitive." - S.H.
"My daughter, within 5 minutes of no mask, has issues breathing: Raspy and coughing and difficulty swallowing, when around perfumes, corndust, fireworks, corny food being cooked within 15 feet or an enclosed space. She has extreme reactions when popcorn/kettlecorn is popped. Any scents in the air (even contaminated "safe" food causes airborn reactions." - A.K.
"Use of sanitizers and some cleaning products cause my nose and throat to itch and me to cough from the vapors. Popcorn, especially when it is being popped, makes my whole body itch, I cough and have shortness of breath...the next day I feel like I have the flu with whole body aches, stomach upset, and migraines. Fragrances are similar to those of cleaning products... nasal congestion, itchy throat, cough, sometimes blotchy red skin on my throat and chest." - R.B.
"It’s horrible. I’m not sure if I’m going to spend 10 minutes in the grocery store bathroom with a reaction to the food In the store. Uggh I don’t go to restaurants or movie theaters or store anymore because of the corn allergy. Not much of a life. Oh then the sores or bumps it causes. That’s another story. Gluten free is the easy one. Corn is hard. I have both. No one really understands. So I just suffer mostly in silence. Oh the joints flaring up and the headaches and congestion it goes on and on. The coughing is not fun and oh the impending doom feeling from eating corn or it’s derivatives." - S.S.
"Anywhere someone is popping corn, I have breathing issues." - K.P.
"It affects every aspect of my life.
I started to have anaphylaxis
to tap water, gas, the ethanol plant, soap, soaker pad meat, the dental office,
eggs, processing, other grasses like the cereal grains.
I spent months not being able to go outside, near my windows, in the mud room, near the closets or upstairs because of anaphylaxis to the ethanol plant.
I carry my n99 mask every where in case I need it. My social life is non existent.
I’ve had 4 separate incidents in public where someone randomly took out a bottle of perfume and sprayed themselves next to me while my kids were eating. I had to leave instantly.
I can’t enter a building with a pool.
I have safe brands of organic quinoa I buy. I tried a different brand once and had instant anaphylaxis to just opening the container. I didn’t even smell it. Normally my symptoms escalate and one the last things after full body tingling is numbness( from blood rushing organs during fight or flight). My lips, face, mouth, throat, fingers, went numb instantly and I had to run to the from of my house. I would have ran outside, but I was having anaphylaxis to the ethanol plant and the ethanol plant was running full force that day. I sat in terror in my own house because I couldn’t leave but I couldn’t stay. I just had rescue meds and pray my air purifiers did their job fast enough while I wore my mask.
Going anywhere is an airbourne reaction. I walk by someone’s house doing laundry. My eyes get itchy, I cough, my skin gets itchy everywhere, it feels like my eyes are swelling, I get ear, throat, and neck pain, shooting ear to thrust pain, shooting stomach pain( I get gi anaphylaxis).
I react to synthetic fabrics.
I react to glues, balloons,
condoms, tampons, hand sanitizer, cleaners, etc.
Hand sanitizer is everywhere,
especially now.
I had. Morning cough from dish soap before I had to make my own soaps.
It impacts every aspect of my
life. Hospitals, doctors offices, dentists." - M.L.
"My first inhalation reaction was at a liquor distillery. They distill both bourbon & moonshine. It happened again during a distillery tour at a different distillery that didn’t even distill on-site. They only did for tourism purposes. Then it got so bad that I can’t go to the movies or Rural King (popcorn in the air). I also had a reaction on a plane because the gentleman behind me was eating bagged popcorn. I had to stop going to one of my favorite Mexican restaurants because they have self-serve chips in the dining room and pop popcorn as well." - M.S.
"Immediate sore throat and burning eyes, then headache, then fight or flight ramps up for up to a week and I'm exhausted but can't sleep because of the fight or flight. Air reactions make me live like I'm agoraphobic. I wish I could go shopping or to restaurants or people's homes like normal people. I have about 4 safe places on my list." - M.F.
"Clorox wipes pretty much ruined my career. 30 years and 4 years of college. I haven't been able to work since November 2019. The itching was insane and was ridiculed and tormented by co workers. HR did nothing but say i was the problem and that i had to prove i actually had an illness. All i know is Clorox wipes and glade plug ins are not tolerated at all." - J.K.
"It makes my skin, throat and eyes itchy terribly. Nothing helps so I end up scratching the hell out of my skin creating open sores. I have a hard time breathing, get SOB, asthma like reactions. I end up having to use an inhaler. Sometimes it helps. Migraines... so bad they are debilitating, most of the time it’s all of these at once and it prevents me from being able to do anything! I also forgot I get itchy ears, not Just the outside but like a deep deep itch I side my ear. I must have been around corn or ate it without knowing today because yep dealing with my symptoms when I should be sleeping." - N.A.
"Visually, I have a flare up of hives all over me and breathing problems. I'm sure that my digestive tract isn't good and it just makes me feel blah." - H.P.
"I haven't had a whole lot of this. My issues have come up with cleaners and scented anything. I have an inflammatory response so I turn red, get a raspy throat, and get headaches. So far...
It leaves me unable to go even
to my mailbox because of airfresheners used in my apartment building. I cannot
go anywhere without a mask but no one is gonna feel bad for that right
now." - D.D.
"I am inhalation reactive to pizza which is full of corn starch and corn meal.." - E.N.
"Only if it is my asthma inhaler that was fun. Especially since it made my asthma worse. Ethanol gas as the propellant." - V.L.
"I am inhalation
reactive to corny chemicals in house and body cleaners, perfumes, etc. I get
instant congestion’s , clogged throat, ears clog , eyes and mouth burn , nose
will run! Then I feel fatigued!" - A.S.
My personal testimony:
Since I was first diagnosed with an IgE-mediated allergy to corn in 2011, my corn allergy reactions have been escalating at an alarming rate; e.g., now severely ingestion-reactive, moderately inhalation-reactive, and slightly contact-reactive. Several years ago, I had to convert my freshwater pool to a saltwater pool, because I was experiencing inhalation reactions to the pool chemicals. I am also reacting more to fragrances in stores (burning nose and sneezing).
I wanted to know to which corn-derived chemical in Clorox bleach was causing my inhalation allergic reaction. They couldn't answer my question, and left it up to me to investigate each chemical source.
Clorox Consumer Care
Diane H. (05/06/2020 08:29
AM)
I represent over 12K members
in our corn allergy support groups, and all of us react to chlorine whether
it's used in water purification, or used in part as an antimicrobial
disinfectant wash on fresh food products. Through all of our intense research,
we have been unable to determine if chlorine contains any excipients that are
derived from corn. We react to most acidic compounds, since the majority appear
to be derived from corn (refer to "Acids of Many Uses From Corn," C
L. Mehltretter, pp 780-784, 1950-1951, "YEARBOOK OF AGRICULTURE").
Therefore, are any of the following excipients in Clorox bleach derived from (or contain) corn; e.g., sodium hypochlorite, cetyl betaine, sodium xylene sulfonate, sodium hydroxide, or sodium carbonate? We cannot determine to which excipient we are experiencing corn-allergic reactions.
On behalf of the corn allergy community, our heartfelt appreciate for your assistance in solving this mystery.
Diane H., Corn Allergy
Advocate
Corn Allergy
Advocacy/Resources
https://cornallergyadvocacyresources.blogspot.com/
Email: cornallergyinitiative@gmail.com
Twitter: @CornAllergy911
Reference:
Acids of Many Uses From Corn
https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/IND43894163/PDF
May 6, 2020, Reply from Clorox Consumer Care:
Hello Diane,
Thank you for contacting us at Clorox. We appreciate hearing from our consumers.
Most of our Clorox products have sodium hypochlorite and other ingredients. If you need to look at the ingredients for more of our products click here.
Sincerely,
Clorox Consumer Care
Diane H., Corn Allergy
Advocate
Corn Allergy
Advocacy/Resources
https://cornallergyadvocacyresources.blogspot.com/
Email: cornallergyinitiative@gmail.com
Twitter: @CornAllergy911
Additional References:
“Corn: It's Everything,” Iowa
Corn
https://www.iowacorn.org/education/corn-its-everything/
"Corn alcohol plays key
role in COVID-19 fight"
https://www.world-grain.com/articles/13434-corn-alcohol-plays-key-role-in-covid-19-fight
"18 Surprising, Everyday
Items Made With Corn"
https://www.cheatsheet.com/life/18-surprising-everyday-items-made-with-corn.html/
Corn Allergen Lists
https://cornallergyadvocacyresources.blogspot.com/2018/07/corn-allergen-lists.html
Corn Allergy References,
Surveys, Studies (“. . . Maize major allergen . . .”), Statistics, &
Petitions
https://cornallergyadvocacyresources.blogspot.com/2018/04/corn-allergy-reference-links.html
Blog Post Reference:
Inhalation-Reactive to Corn:
Personal Testimonies
https://cornallergyadvocacyresources.blogspot.com/2020/10/inhalation-reactive-to-corn-personal.html
