Image made with Canva

The internet, and social media specifically,  has become a place to share all kinds of info – beach pictures, coffee cups, and even peeks into our everyday lives. Chrissy Teigen is famous for her no-filter approach to Instagram, often sparking conversation with her posts. A few days ago, when she posted this image, a different kind of discussion erupted in the comments and on other networks.

Teigen bit into an orange and her lips swelled significantly. In the caption of her post, she suggested the cause:  “Maybe pesticides on the outside?” In the comments underneath, there are some other ideas and strong suggestions. It could be an adverse reaction to a pesticide, but to people familiar, it is very reminiscent of an allergic reaction. 

Dr. Sandra Lee, AKA ‘Dr. Pimple Popper’ commented, “Allergy of course. Take antihistamine and of course no more eating the suspicious fruit! ❤️” 

The speculation of this being an allergy is a common theme in the rest of the comments. Some people share their own experiences to help, like one user who said, “I suffer from anaphylaxis when I have nuts, if I touch a peanut then touch my lips it looks like that! Antihistamines and lip balm should calm that down and reduce risk of skin on lips cracking and blistering…” Some responses to this pondered the source, if it is the fruit itself or even cross-contamination of another allergen on the peel.

There is more advice given, like one commenter who started a thread underneath their comment: “…the nurse practitioner in me is so anxious about this! Angioedema can lead to a more serious allergic reaction and you should see an allergist regardless and have an Epipen around.” In response, one user shared her impression of this picture and agreement with the advice, “Thank you for saying this. As an allergy mom seeing lips like this terrify me. For anyone reading this, if this happens to you, go to the ER folks.”

A large portion of the comments makes this same suggestion – for her to go to the hospital. 

I wouldn’t go as far as to call this a hard-hitting deliberation. It is not about a topical issue per-say, but it pools the knowledge of Teigen’s followers to help her in this situation, and maybe some other people in the future. Scrolling through the comments, there are a lot of viewpoints and ideas. A variety of perspectives are shared, from the food allergy perspective, to even people who claim it could simply be a response to the fruit peel. Information is shared to contribute possibilities and understandings of the issue. 

When I saw this post, I appreciated that a discussion was created on Instagram about the matter. In lieu of the more common types of comments, I enjoyed seeing this type of advice underneath the photo. I was also excited to see that it could bring some awareness to allergies and help people who may experience it down the road.

I once experienced some swelling on my lips and tongue after eating a plum. I was confused, but eventually chalked it up to the possibility of tree pollen on the peel (which would explain some of the itchiness I also get from apples and pears). Chrissy Teigen’s post instantly reminded me of this, and I hope she got the help she needed. Allergies can do all kinds of weird things, but the more information we are armed with, the better prepared we can be!