Butternut squash responsible for skin reactions?

Pumpkin and zucchini are popular foods from the local garden, especially in autumn, which taste delicious as side dishes and soups and are easy to prepare. But for some people, the squash — specifically the butternut squash — triggers skin reactions.

Questions about strange skin changes after cutting pumpkins keep popping up on the internet. People who only touch the  pumpkin  from the outside usually do not have any problems, rather the problems arise during the preparation.

Rash when cutting pumpkin

The skin reaction is particularly evident

• feeling of tension in the hands
• redness and rash
• Dandruff: Peeling of the skin

Although the pumpkin is generally considered to be very well tolerated,  allergies  and overreactions are also known to occur with the popular autumn fruit. These can occur as both contact eczema and  food allergies  . The symptoms listed above may be signs of an overreaction to an aggressive compound in the pumpkin.

Possible causes of the skin reaction

Various causes can be responsible for the rash:

• Contact eczema:  The allergic reaction usually occurs due to small molecules and is delayed. Redness, blisters, peeling of the skin or  itching  of the affected areas are particularly noticeable.
• Contact urticaria:  Here the skin reacts particularly to the larger molecules of the trigger, which can be either a fruit or a vegetable. Blisters and wheals can be formed later.
• T oxic reaction:  This reaction is particularly well known from gardening. Certain plants contain substances, mostly acids, that can burn the skin. Here, too, blisters and wheals appear, mostly without itching. This reaction can also show up without the person concerned having had any previous contact with the trigger.

Tips against the reaction

If the pumpkin is the trigger of the skin reaction, direct contact should be avoided. It is advisable to avoid the corresponding pumpkin varieties or to work with gloves in the future.

In the case of an acute reaction, we recommend

• Cortisone cream
• care cream
• peeling cream

In the event of dangerous allergy symptoms such as dizziness,  shortness of breath  or swelling of the skin, a doctor should be contacted urgently.

Skin reaction: Can the pumpkin be eaten?

It is difficult to predict whether the pumpkin or other varieties will also trigger the allergy when eaten. While some people can get a rash just from contact with the skin at the affected area, systemic contact dermatitis causes the rash to appear anywhere on the body.

Some allergens are destroyed during cooking, the pumpkin can then be eaten without hesitation. Whether or not a reaction occurs varies from person to person, so the gourd should be consumed with caution.

Cross allergies  can also cause allergic reactions with other types of pumpkin. In the event of acute problems, the doctor should be contacted.