People who are allergic to rice also may react to other foods in the same botanical family. This is called cross reactivity, and it requires people with food allergies to be extra careful when making meals or ordering food in restaurants. Foods that can spark reactions in those allergic to rice include:

• Barley
• Maize
• Wheat
• Durum wheat
• Corn
• Soybean
• Triticale
• Oats
• Rye

Those with rice allergy are also frequently allergic to peaches and apples.  

A person who has a reaction to rice does not necessarily have a rice allergy. In some cases, the reaction may be triggered by a food intolerance, which does not involve an immune-system reaction. Food intolerance involves the inability of the body to digest a substance, leading to symptoms of discomfort (e.g., stomach cramping) but posing little danger. Food intolerance often allows the individual to eat small portions of a problem food without experiencing symptoms. With a food allergy, even a very small portion of a food allergen can cause an allergic reaction.

While primarily referred to as a type of food allergy, rice plants also produce pollens. In areas where rice is grown commercially, people may develop allergies to rice pollen. This may be linked to a number of allergic conditions related to the inhalation of rice pollen, including:

• Allergic rhinitis (hay fever). An inflammation of the mucous membranes that lines the nose causing nasal congestion, sniffling and sneezing.
  
  

  

• Allergic conjunctivitis. An inflammation of the tissue lining the inside of the eyelid that produces irritation and tearing of the eyes.
  

  

• Allergic sinusitis. An inflammation of the tissue lining the inside of the sinuses that leads to congestion and sinus pressure.
  
  

  

• Asthma. A condition in which breathing airways become blocked or narrowed causing shortness of breath and breathing difficulty. Some forms of asthma are triggered by allergies.