How to Quickly Stop the Itch from a Yam Allergy? Practical Methods Shared
Yam is rich in nutrients, containing a variety of vitamins and minerals, and its protein content is also very high. Eating yam regularly has many benefits for your health. But many people do not eat yam - or, to be precise, do not dare to touch it - because peeling it makes their hands extremely itchy. In medical terms, this is a skin allergy, and it is very distressing. So what should you do about a yam allergy?
Causes of Yam Allergy
In medical terms, a yam allergy is a type of contact dermatitis. Since not everyone develops these symptoms when touching yam, it may also be an allergic reaction. At present, it is believed that the factors causing this contact dermatitis are the saponin contained in the yam skin or the plant alkaloids in its mucilage. Itching occurs when the skin comes into contact with these two components.
In fact, after washing the outer skin of the yam clean, it is best to wear gloves, or put a plastic bag over your hands, and then peel it. Or prepare a pot of boiling water, wash the yam, and drop it straight into the water to blanch. This way, the yam skin is basically cooked, the original allergens are destroyed, and contact with it will no longer cause an allergic reaction. Moreover, after taking the yam out of the pot, simply score it lightly from top to bottom with a kitchen knife and the outer skin can be removed easily. But be careful not to boil it too long, and it is best to cook the whole root without cutting it open.
What Should You Do About a Yam Allergy?
1. First wash your hands, then rub vinegar on them, not forgetting the gaps under your nails. After a while the itching will gradually disappear. This is due to acid-base neutralization.
2. You can also hold them over a fire, turning your palms repeatedly to let your hands heat up. This can break down the saponin that has penetrated into your hands. But be careful to stay safe and not burn your skin.
3. Putting your hands in rice and rubbing them repeatedly can also relieve the itching.
4. Diluting floral water or essential balm in water and then washing repeatedly can also relieve it.
5. The yam allergy will not last long; it disappears on its own in half a day or a day.
In addition, people who have previously developed itchy hands from contact with yam should avoid direct skin contact with yam; when the skin is dry and cracked or damaged, stinging reactions are even more likely, so contact should also be avoided.
How to Handle Yam Without an Allergic Reaction
1. After washing the outer skin of the yam clean, it is best to wear gloves, or put a plastic bag over your hands, and then peel it.
2. Prepare a pot of boiling water, wash the yam, and drop it straight into the water to blanch. This way, the yam skin is basically cooked, the original allergens are destroyed, and contact with it will no longer cause an allergic reaction. After taking the yam out of the pot, simply score it lightly from top to bottom with a kitchen knife and the outer skin can be removed easily.
Precautions for Yam Allergy
The mucilage of yam is very nutritious, and the ones that are "juicy with sticky liquid" are the good yams. If you handle it properly, you will not lose more of its nutritional value.
If a yam allergy makes you itchy, do not scratch all over the place, as this will make other areas itchy too; if you scratch your hand skin open, it will be even more troublesome to deal with.