Peanut allergy

Numerous studies show that in the last 5 to 10 years there has been a huge increase in how many people are suffering from the peanut allergy, or in other words there has been an increase in the number of people who are now allergic to peanuts. The studies have also shown that this increase has not just affected the United States; the increase has also been noticed in the United Kingdom and Australia. In the United States over 1.5 million people suffer from peanut allergies, not to mention that it is the most common cause of life threatening allergic reactions, it accounts for 80% of fatal or near fatal allergic reactions each year. But even though we know that there has been a huge increase in this allergy there is no definite answer to as why this increase has happened all that we have to go on are several theories.

One theory is that we are actually introducing our children to peanuts too early. What this amounts to is that we have increased the use of soy in baby formula, more parents are giving their children soy based formula because their children are lactose intolerant, but we are also eating a lot more processed food, which most of these foods contain peanuts or a form of peanuts. The soy formula is considered a problem because both peanuts and soy are beans, which means they come from the same family. But another problem with introducing peanuts too early is that we have actually been using roasted peanuts in our food instead of raw/boiled peanuts and the heating that takes place when roasting the peanuts actually changes the protein in the peanuts and our bodies are more likely to react to the changed protein than the regular protein.

The other popular theory is usually referred to as the hygiene hypothesis, which this theory can apply to a variety of situations not just the peanut allergy. But how this theory works is that many people believe that our immune systems have little to fight anymore because of the environment that we live in, today our environment is considered a cleaner, healthier, antibacterial world. And because of how clean our environment is our immune system reacts to certain food proteins and mistakes them for a threat. Not to mention that a lowered immune function due to increased antibiotic use, vaccinations, high processed food and pesticide use are also factors to consider with this theory.

What is the difference between peanut allergy and peanut intolerance?

Many people are unaware of the fact that there is a difference between peanut allergy and peanut intolerance, but this isn't surprising considering the fact that at times it is very difficult to tell the difference between the two.

• Peanut intolerance - the main difference with a peanut intolerance is that it doesn't involve your immune system at all. In fact you can usually eat a small amount of peanuts and only have mild symptoms, or in some cases you won't have any kind of reaction at all. In most cases the mild symptoms will include heart burn or indigestion.
• Peanut allergy - this type actually involves the immune system. For people who have a peanut allergy even a small amount of peanuts can trigger a serious allergic reaction, in some cases just smelling peanuts or kissing somebody who has eaten peanuts can trigger a response. In order to determine if you have a peanut allergy you should take a test.

Symptoms of a peanut allergy

What symptoms you are going to present with this allergy is going to depend on how severe your allergic reaction is to peanuts, in addition to how much of the peanut protein you have been exposed to. But you can have immediate reactions which can include itching, redness, swelling, shortness of breath, wheezing, nausea, abdominal pain, lightheadedness or loss of consciousness. You also need to keep in mind that allergic reactions to peanuts usually occurs within minutes of being exposed to peanuts, but you can also have reactions within an hour or so after ingesting peanuts. But the most severe form of reaction is anaphylactic shock, which can actually lead to death. Here are the signs and symptoms of an anaphylactic reaction:

• Wheezing
• Rapid or weak pulse
• Blueness of your skin, including your lips and nail beds
• Diarrhea
• Nausea and vomiting
• Dizziness
• Loss of consciousness
• Drop in blood pressure, life threateningly low levels
• Difficulty breathing, due to constriction of the airways

Causes of peanut allergy

Basically a peanut allergy is caused by an immune system malfunction. What happens is that your immune system identifies peanuts as harmful. And because they are identified as harmful your immune system triggers the production of immunoglobulin E antibodies to neutralize the peanut protein. And then each time that you come into contact with the peanut protein after the first time the immunoglobulin E antibodies recognize it and signal your immune system to release histamine and other chemicals into your bloodstream. It is the histamines and other chemicals that are released into your bloodstream that cause the range of allergic signs and symptoms. You need to keep in mind that your exposure to peanuts can occur in one of three ways:

• Direct contact - this is type of contact means exposure through all routes of contact. In most cases it is caused by eating peanuts but in some cases it can include kissing or touching someone that has been in direct contact with peanuts. It is this type of contact that is the most common cause of the peanut allergy.
• Cross-contact - this type of contact is actually the unintended introduction of peanuts into a product. How this usually occurs is that it is the result of exposure to peanuts during processing or handling of a food product.
• Inhalation - you can actually inhale dust or aerosols that contain peanuts, which will also cause an allergic reaction. A great example of this is inhaling peanut flour or peanut oil cooking spray.

Screening and diagnosis of a peanut allergy

If you show any signs or symptoms of the peanut allergy you should notify your doctor immediately so that they can conduct a physical examination to identify or exclude any other medical problems. And if they still suspect a peanut allergy they might recommend one of the following tests:

• Skin test - your skin is actually pricked and exposed to small amounts of the peanut protein to see if you have a skin response to the test. What will happen if you are allergic to peanuts is that you will develop a raised bump at the test location on your skin.
• Blood test - this can actually measure your immune systems response to peanuts by measuring the amount of immunoglobulin E antibodies in your bloodstream. A blood sample is sent to a medical laboratory where it is tested for evidence of a peanut allergy.

Risk factors for a peanut allergy

People with certain risk factors have a higher chance at having a peanut allergy, but that doesn't mean that people without these risk factors will not develop a peanut allergy. Here are the risk factors that can cause you to have a higher chance of developing a peanut allergy:

• Family history of allergies - if there are other allergies in your family, but most particularly other food allergies in your family, you are at a higher risk to develop a peanut allergy. But one thing to keep in mind is that a child's first allergic reaction to peanuts usually occurs between the ages of 1 and 2.
• Personal history of peanut allergy - 20 to 25% of children who have had a peanut allergy will actually outgrow the allergy. But even if you do outgrow the allergy there is still a slight risk that the allergy will recur.
• Altered immune system - most studies show that the prevalence of peanut allergy has actually doubled in young American children in the last five years. Many scientists believe that the reason for this is that many infectious diseases have been destroyed which has actually altered our immune systems. But others think that is because of our improved hygiene in the Western countries has actually confused our immune systems. And by confusing our immune systems we are actually at a greater risk of developing allergies later in life because our confused immune system is not very prepared to prevent the allergies from occurring.

Treatment and prevention for peanut allergies

The only thing that you can do to treat a peanut allergy is to take medications, such as antihistamines, which can help to reduce the symptoms of a peanut allergy, but this is not 100% guaranteed. The medication can be taken after exposure to peanuts and are helpful in controlling your reaction and relieving any discomfort. But the only way that you can prevent an allergic reaction is to actually avoid peanuts and peanut proteins altogether. Here are some things that you can do if you know you have a peanut allergy:

• Know what you are eating and drinking. Make sure that you read all food labels carefully.
• If you have previously had a severe reaction to peanuts make sure that you wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace
• Talk to your doctor about carrying emergency medications, such as an epi-pen.

If your child has a peanut allergy here are some things that you should do to ensure their safety:

• Notify key people that your child has a peanut allergy. This includes anybody that your child regularly spends time with, including their friends' parents.
• Explain peanut allergy symptoms. This involves teaching all of the adults who are around your child what to look for so that they can recognize if your child is reacting to peanuts. You also want to teach them about the signs and symptoms of anaphylactic shock so they know what to do.
• Write an action plan. Make sure you make a copy for everyplace that your child spends time at, this way they know what to do in case of an emergency.
• Have your child wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace.
• Teach your child not to share foods. This will reduce the risk that they are exposed to peanuts unintentionally.

Here are some ingredients that you need to look out for if you have a peanut allergy. In fact if you see any of the following ingredients on a food label you can guarantee that the item is not peanut free.

• Peanut
• May contain traces of peanuts
• Cold-pressed or expeller pressed peanut oil
• Ground nuts
• Mixed nuts
• Peanut butter
• Peanut flour
• Peanut oil
• Peanut starch
• Beer nuts
• Arachis
• Gianduja
• Goober peas or nuts
• Mandalona - this is a nut substitute that is derived from peanut meal

In addition to looking at labels there are certain foods that are more likely to contain peanuts than others. Here is a partial list of common sources and foods that contain peanut in one form or another.

• Asian foods
• Baked goods - breads, muffins, pastries, cookies
• Baking mixes
• Cereals
• Granola
• Crackers
• Chili
• Ice cream
• Mortadella
• Nut butters
• Sauces - peanuts are often used as a thickener in sauces
• Soups - mainly the dried soups
• Egg rolls
• Vegetarian burgers
• Marzipan
• Nougat
• Chocolate
• Flavoring
• Milk formula
• Pesto
• Seasoning
• Satay sauces
• Chocolate ice cream
• Nutella spread