ISSN: 2041-6792

Clinical Investigation

Chinese Restaurant Syndrome Innovations

In India, eating Chinese food has become very popular. We hereby report a case who presented with angioneurotic edema of the uvula and the surrounding structures, after eating Chinese food, which resulted in severe difficulty in swallowing saliva and inability to speak. Chinese food and soups contain monosodium glutamate (MSG) as the main addictive ingredient. A sensitive individual may suffer from headache, giddiness, sweating, abdominal pain, and urticaria within a few hours of consumption of MSG. Angioedema may be delayed up to 8–16 h after the consumption of MSG and it may persist for 24 h.[1] This delayed life-threatening effect in the form of angioedema makes diagnosis difficult. Chinese restaurant syndrome is an outdated term coined in the 1960s. It refers to a group of symptoms some people experience after eating food from a Chinese restaurant. Today, it's known as MSG symptom complex. These symptoms often include headache, skin flushing, and sweating It's common to have a bad reaction to foods we eat on occasion, such as gas from eating beans or headaches from drinking wine. If you're lactose intolerant you may experience diarrhea when you consume dairy. These are all examples of food sensitivities or intolerances, which are different from allergies in that they are not immune system reactions. With a food allergy, the immune system reacts to specific foods which can result in symptoms that range from mild skin rashes or itching, to anaphylaxis, a serious reaction that can be fatal.    

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