Contact

I am struggling with contact dermatitis this week. 

The house next door has a plethora of mango trees. Since it is occupied by renters, the trees have not been pruned. They're huge. Consequently, ripe mangos weigh down the tall branches and fall in our yard, not the worst thing in the world! 

The other day there was a storm and the high wind broke a large branch off one tree into our yard. I don't believe anyone is even living next door right now, so I wandered over and stripped the branches of mangoes (quite the haul!) before my husband dragged the large branch out to the street for disposal.  I was psyched for mango delights.

The next day my left eye was nearly swollen shut, and I had red rashes all over my lower arms and upper chest. Even some on my right foot. Yeah, I had been wearing flip flops and a v-necked t-shirt when greedily claiming my spoils the night before. No rashes around my mouth, though. I guess that means I'm not allergic to the fruit.  

I remembered the leaves and mangoes were covered with sticky sap.  I googled:

Can you be allergic to mango sap?

This oil can cause allergic reactions upon contact. Urushiol is also found in the sap, skin, stem, and leaf of mangoes. Just as contact with poison ivy or oak may trigger an allergic skin rash in some people, exposure to mangoes may result in a similar reaction.