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Peanut Allergy Treatment And Symptoms
Peanut Allergy Treatment And Symptoms

Every year in the United States millions of people have an

allergic reaction to something they ate or drank. Often the

reaction is so mild that it is mistaken for something else.

People think they're just coming down with something or had

one too many drinks. However, some food allergies can be

quite severe and can even be fatal. It has been estimated

that somewhere around 6% of children have some kind of

serious food allergy.

Why allergic reactions take place is still something of a

mystery. Ordinarily, one of the ways that your immune system

responds to toxic substances in the body by releasing

histamines into the bloodstream. These chemicals rapidly

travel to the skin, lungs, intestines, eyes and nose to

fight off the invader. Sometimes this reaction takes place

in response to a food or chemical that is completely benign

and the overreaction by your body can cause a fatal shutdown

of some key systems in your body.

Peanuts are one of the top foods identified by the Center

For Disease Control in its list of the top 8 allergies in

the United States. These 8 food groups account for 90% of

the allergic reaction to food in America. Over 3 million

people have been identified as allergic to peanuts and an

allergic reaction to peanuts the most common cause of food

related death.

When someone has an allergic reaction to peanuts, the

symptoms can range from mild discomfort to life-threatening.

Within minutes of consuming food containing peanuts you may

feel itchy skin, tingling in the face or lips or even break

out in hives. In more severe cases, symptoms would progress

to vomiting, diarrhea or inability to breath because of

swelling of the airways. The most severe reaction is called

anaphylaxis. This is characterized by the addition of more

severe reactions like low blood pressure, swelling of the

throat and tongue and eventual loss of consciousness. If not

treated quickly, the result can be deadly and this severe

reaction usually only takes a few minutes after ingesting

food containing peanuts.

Most allergies are detected by a skin test. Your doctor

will make a tiny prick on your skin with a needle and then a

liquid containing peanuts will be applied to the area. A

couple of days later, if a rash appears that indicates that

your body had a reaction to that substance. There are also

some reliable blood tests that can be performed to test for

allergies. An ELISA test, or "enzyme-linked immunosorbent

assay", tests for immune responses in the body and is

generally considered to be the most accurate.

If you are one of the many people who have been diagnosed

as allergic to peanuts you should be prepared against

accidentally ingesting foods prepared with peanuts. Usually

an antihistamine like Benedryl is enough to clear up mild

reaction but in cases where there are more severe symptoms

your doctor will likely advise an epinephrine shot along

with the Benadryl and to call 911 for further instructions.

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