Peanut Allergy
Peanut allergy is one of the most fatal and prevalent types of allergy there is. In fact it affects approximately 1% to 2% of children who suffer from it severely.
Nowadays, there are more food products that are made of peanuts: may it be peanut itself or peanut oil. The worse part of it is that many food packaging are masked with other ingredients that do not clearly state "peanut" or "peanut oil". This is fatal for people that have severe peanut allergies that even the slightest tinge of it can send them off to the emergency room.
There are fatal peanut allergy attacks that most unsuspecting patients may have ever imagined. Restaurants and caf¨¦s can be a deadly place to start with especially if the menu doesn't state anything about peanuts or peanut products. It is quite difficult for people with peanut allergy to go to such places since it is hard to identify the food that contain peanuts.
Symptoms
- hives
- itchy/swollen lips, mouth, tongue or eyes
- tightness in the mouth, throat and/or chest
- flushed face
- running nose
- nausea
- vomiting
- change in the person's voice
- problem swallowing or breathing
- wheezing, coughing and/or choking
- onset of severe dizziness and/or fatigue
Some advice
It is best to take the patient to a nearby hospital when it is his/her first time to experience peanut allergy attack. For people who are aware and are already undergoing peanut allergy treatment, a shot of epinephrine should be administered discretely and should be done so at the onset of symptoms.
Caution is always important whether dining in or out of the home. There is a greater risk of eating the wrong foods when you dine out. If it is unavoidable, make sure to bring someone along with you and you should also ask about the ingredients of the food you are ordering.
Take caution as well when trying or sampling your companion's meal. Make sure that no traces of peanuts or peanut oil is present on his/her meal so you'll be safe to share with their food.
There are alternatives to peanuts such as pecans, walnuts, almonds and others that do not contain allergens. If you know what you are eating, you can always stay safe and free from peanut allergy attacks.
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