Itchy mouth after a fresh fig, or hives after a fig roll? Fig reactions are often tied to a surprising source: the weeping fig houseplant on your windowsill. Our test checks for IgE antibodies to a whole fig extract and to weeping fig, as part of 300 allergens and allergen components, so you can see both on one report.
The weeping fig (Ficus benjamina) is one of the most common houseplants in Europe. Its milky sap contains proteins that become airborne with dust, and people can become sensitised to them indoors. The edible fig (Ficus carica) belongs to the same genus.
An Austrian study of more than 2,600 people with pollen or indoor allergies found that 2.5% were sensitised to weeping fig. Most of those tested also reacted to fresh fig on skin testing, and some to dried fig, kiwi, papaya, avocado and banana. Researchers call this the ficus-fruit syndrome. Part of the overlap comes from protein-cutting enzymes such as ficin in fig and papain in papaya. Most people in that study were not sensitised to rubber latex, so this is a separate pattern from latex-fruit syndrome.
Reactions people describe after fig include itching of the mouth and throat, swollen lips, hives and, less often, wheezing. Dried figs are reported as triggers too, so drying does not remove the problem for everyone. Symptoms usually start within minutes to two hours.
Swelling of the lips, tongue or throat, trouble breathing or feeling faint after eating is an emergency. Call 112 (EU) or your local emergency number. Do not wait for a test.
A burning rash or blisters on the skin after picking figs or handling fig leaves in the sun is something else. The sap contains substances that make skin react to sunlight. That is not IgE and does not show on this test.
IgE to fig shows that your blood recognises fig proteins. Not everyone with a positive result reacts when eating figs. A positive weeping fig result next to it, or a positive kiwi or papaya result, helps a doctor see where the sensitisation may have started.
Your finger-prick sample goes to the lab, which measures IgE to a whole fig extract. Your lab report gives it a measured value and class, from Negative to Very high, next to weeping fig, kiwi and papaya. A positive result shows sensitisation, not a clinical allergy. Discuss the result with a doctor before you change what you eat.
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One finger-prick sample checks IgE to 300 allergens and allergen components, from birch and peanut to cat and house dust mite. Post it to the lab, and about 5 days after it arrives you get a value for every one. Our plain-English guide shows you how to read them. €399 in total, €1.33 per allergen.
It can be linked. People sensitised to the weeping fig houseplant often show IgE to edible fig as well, and sometimes to kiwi and papaya. The test checks weeping fig and fig in the same sample.
Not reliably. In studies, people sensitised to fig reported reactions to both fresh and dried figs. If you have reacted to either, ask a doctor before trying the other.
Fig sap contains substances that make skin sensitive to sunlight, which can cause a burning rash or blisters. That is a chemical skin reaction, not an IgE allergy, and the test does not measure it.
