Woman risks life with ‘kiss of death’ after date
You want your heart to swell after a kiss from a potential beau — not your lips.
TikToker Janelle Gonzalez recalled the moment she realized she was having an allergic reaction from kissing a man during a date the evening prior.
Sharing her swollen appearance in a TikTok video, Gonzalez, 27, said they’d heavily made out before calling it a night, and she woke up the next morning to her upper lip completely engorged.
Confused, she racked her brain trying to work out what would have caused the reaction, noting she’s highly allergic to shellfish but hadn’t eaten any the night before.
“But I was like no, I don’t think it works that way,” she says in the clip, which has been viewed more than 827,000 times.
However, just to be safe, Gonzalez texted the man to ask if he’d eaten any seafood before their date, with him replying that he’d eaten shrimp fried rice earlier that day.
“It’s not even safe to make out with men anymore,” Gonzalez joked. “Y’all watch your backs out there.”
Gonzalez’s post was flooded by users saying they have had similar experiences.
“My parents made my bf in high-school eat peanut butter before our dates so we couldn’t kiss,” one user revealed.
“My friend’s sister kissed her fiancé the morning of their wedding after eating watermelon and he’s terribly allergic. They had to cancel the wedding,” another shared.
For others, a smooch has been better than an allergy test.
“Kissing is exactly how we found out my husband is allergic to scallops,” a TikToker wrote.
“It definitely works that way! Happened to me but luckily not on my lips!” another added.
An allergic reaction to food allergies through thirdhand exposure — such as kissing — is rare, but does happen. It is also known as the “kiss of death” and there have been a few fatal instances.
The reaction isn’t as common as more direct exposures to allergens — such as ingesting or touching the food directly — and although it may not lead to anaphylactic shock, it could result in difficulty breathing, nausea, vomiting and fainting — as well as swelling of the lips, throat and face.
According to allergist Dr. Scott Sicherer, studies show that between 5% and 12% of food-allergic individuals can experience a reaction from kissing.
“Any substance that causes an allergic reaction is called an allergen,” Medical News Today noted. “For some people, even minimal exposure to traces of an allergen can cause a severe reaction.”
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