• Nicole went to a pickle-themed festival in Pittsburgh earlier this year
• Later that day, his face started to swell
• Nicole went to the hospital, where doctors couldn’t determine exactly why she was having a reaction.

For a woman, eating too many pickles turned out to be a big “dill”.

In July, Nicole, who passes NicoleSkirts on social media, attended Picklesburgh, the annual pickle-themed festival in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. There, she indulged in a variety of pickle-inspired dishes, including pickle pizza, pickle cannoli, pickle egg rolls, giant jumbo pickle, and pickle lemonade.

But after the festival, things changed when Nicole noticed that her eye was starting to swell. At first, she thought she was developing a stye, something she often suffers from, so she didn’t think much of it. She continued with her day, even going for a two-mile walk with her boyfriend.

However, a few hours later, the 28-year-old noticed that her entire face was swollen, especially around her eyes. That’s when it dawned on her: She might have an allergic reaction to all the pickles.

Ultimately, Nicole decided to go to the hospital, where she told PEOPLE that doctors couldn’t pinpoint the exact cause of her allergy, but said it was likely a one-time reaction. At the hospital, Nicole decided to share her experience on TikTok.

“I’m a huge pickle lover and have looked forward to Picklesburgh for years because I couldn’t attend in the past,” she told PEOPLE. “I was planning to make a video about the event because I love pickles, but the situation changed when I ended up in the hospital.”

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Since posting the video to TikTok, it has gone viral, garnering 24 million views and more than 9,000 comments from people offering their theories on what caused her reaction. Some suggested it was a sodium overload, while others speculated that an ingredient used in pickles could have triggered it.

“You got yourself into trouble ,” one comment read.

“No way I’m eating a pickle,” another person wrote.

Someone else said: “I would cry if I was allergic to pickles.” »

“As I read viewer comments, I realized that everyone on TikTok thought he was a doctor,” Nicole said. “The funniest responses actually came from an Instagram post I made! Many people have made up jokes about pickles, including using the word “dill.” ”

Since the incident, Nicole continued to consume pickles, and everything seemed fine until around Halloween, when she had another reaction. “Now I have an appointment with an allergist in January,” she says.