Signs and Symptoms of a Peanut Allergy

A Peanut allergy is an over sensitivity to the dietary ingredients that are found in the nuts. This reaction can be very mild or it can be severe and life threatening, and it varies from person to person. The reaction to food (and nuts especially) is the over reaction of the immune system. The immune system basically thinks the ingredients in peanuts are harmful to the body, so the reaction occurs. Millions of people suffer from a peanut allergy, and it is estimated that 1% of the whole population reacts to peanuts. About the same amount of children as adults have it, but about a fourth of the children with the allergy will eventually outgrow it.

There is no cure for a peanut allergy; the only way to treat it is with a diet of exclusion. For those who have a peanut allergy, being vigilant with avoiding foods that may be contaminated with peanuts, peanut oils, or peanut particles is critical. Many foods are processed in a factory that also makes products that contain peanuts; this is an important piece of information for peanut allergy sufferers, and is listed on food labels.

Symptoms of a peanut allergy are triggered when the body releases histamine to combat the ingredients in peanuts, because it thinks the ingredients are harmful to the body, even though theyre not. The body overreacts and attacks the substances. With a peanut allergy, histamine can induce constriction of the bronchioles in the lungs, which is also known as bronchospasm, or constriction of the airways. Someone suffering from an attack may have moderate or severe trouble breathing. Some of the other most common symptoms of a peanut allergy include vomiting and nausea, diarrhea, swelling of the lips, face, neck, and throat, and hives. Additional symptoms of a peanut allergy can include acute abdominal pain, anaphylactic shock, and sudden exacerbation of atopic eczema.

The most severe cases of a peanut allergy can result in anaphylaxis, which is a severe, acute reaction to peanuts. Anaphylaxis is an emergency situation that requires immediate attention, and usually needs epinephrine as a treatment. Unfortunately for some people who have a peanut allergy, contact with anything that has to do with peanuts can prove to be even fatal.

When someone goes into anaphylactic shock from a peanut allergy, death can result because of obstruction to the upper or lower airway and heart failure. This can happen within minutes or hours after eating peanuts, and the very first signs are usually sneezing, tingling in the lips, tongue, and throat, followed by a general feeling of dizziness and feeling unwell. Any person with symptoms of a severe peanut allergy should be taken to the ER or 911 should be called right away.