Peanut Alert: Allergies Could Break Out From Eating Them

One of the most popularly consumed dietary proteins is peanut butter. Aside from that, peanuts are widely used ingredients in pastries and dishes. It is also a favorite snack while watching movies or the television. Peanuts are almost everywhere and this is what makes it popular to food lovers.

But the widespread use of peanuts in food preparation could be a health hazard to some people, especially to those who are suffering from peanut allergies.

Nut allergies are common but unlike them, serious peanut allergies could be deadly within minutes of consumption. The most often immediate reaction of an allergic person’s body is the swelling of the throat, making it hard for the person to breathe. Aside from this, other symptoms such as hives, tightness of the mouth and chest, nausea or vomiting, difficulty in breathing and swallowing, and onset of dizziness could happen.

Severe peanut allergies can lead to anaphylaxis, a rare severe allergic symptom. If untreated at the first sign, anaphylactic shock could occur and result in death. This is because the upper or lower airway becomes obstructed and heart failure could also happen. These reactions could happen within minutes after eating peanuts. This is why people allergic to peanuts should always carry epinephrine, a medication administered to counter act anaphylactic reactions and is available by prescription only.

As with other forms of allergies, the best way to prevent allergic reactions from breaking out is by entirely avoiding peanuts or anything that may contain it. This could be really hard especially when dining out. Lots of dishes are prepared with ingredients that contain peanut proteins. Though these ingredients are not peanuts themselves, peanut proteins that they contain trigger the same reaction as eating the peanut itself. For this case, it is always best to ask first before you order and eat anything. If you are preparing the food yourself, be sure to check all the labels first to make sure that no peanut proteins are present in the ingredients you’ll be using.

If you suspect yourself to be allergic to peanuts, you better consult a physician right away. Skin tests and blood tests could be administered to determine if one is suffering from peanut allergies. The earlier the detection of the allergy, the better the chances of avoiding the allergen and therefore prevent allergic reactions from occurring. As said before, peanut allergies could be fatal and should not be taken lightly.