| For people with a severe peanut allergy even the smallest
trace of peanut protein can lead to hives, sweating, anaphylactic shock
and - in very severe cases - death.
An allergic
reaction could be provoked by something as simple as eating a meal that's
been cooked in a vessel that previously had peanuts in it (eg: a wok used
to prepare an Asian meal) or even by the smell of peanuts (peanut allergens
have been shown to travel through the air).
Since peanuts
are now very often used in a wide variety of cooking and food products -
anything from peanut oils to fillers in spaghetti, canned foodstuffs and
many baked food products - and are frequently served from open dishes in
restaurants and bars, this can make peanut-allergic people's lives a
nightmare.
In addition,
people who are allergic to peanuts (which are really legumes) are often
also allergic to true nuts (such as walnuts and pecans). So much of
what we say here about peanuts applies to those other nuts as
well.
Young Children Are
Most At Risk
No-one currently
knows what causes peanut allergy. But what is known is that
young children seem to be the most prone to it (or in
other words, if you don't have a peanut allergy early in your life it's very
unlikely you'll develop one as you grow older).
As a result,
current medical thinking is that the best way to ensure your child
doesn't develop a peanut allergy is not to expose
them to peanut products until at least the age of 3 or 4. Even then,
you child's first exposure should only be to a small amount.
Similarly,
adults such as relatives, teachers or other carers should never force
peanut products onto young children if they decline them. The child may have
already learned that they should avoid particular types of foods.
Happily,
recent research suggests that up to 18% of children who have an allergic
reaction to peanuts will eventually grow out of it.
But researchers
also advise parents of peanut-allergic children to let a doctor
decide if a child has become non-allergic or not. We think that's very
wise.
Current
Research
Scientists
are currently working on trying to identify which part of the
peanut protein causes allergic reactions in the small numbers of people who
suffer a peanut allergy, and then develop a treatment for it.
This research
holds out some promise of making the lives of peanut-allergic people a
lot better in the future. But right at the moment, a genuine
breakthrough still seems to be several years away.
Treatments
are certainly available right now for people who suffer extreme allergic
reactions. But they generally need to be given quickly if a shock reaction
sets in.
So if you
run across someone who says "I'm sorry, but I'm allergic to peanuts"
(or other kinds of nut) please be tolerant and compassionate
- especially if they ask you to put away your nuts or decline to eat a certain
dish with you.
It's a very
real allergy - and often one of the worst possible food allergies
to have.
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Peanut
Allergies