Allergies affect many people in the United States, which in turn affects the United States’ Health Care system. Statistics show that over 50 million Americans suffer from allergies which in total are the sixth leading cause of chronic disease in the United States (Allergy Statistics). Allergies cost the health care system about $18 billion annually (Allergy Statistics). Of the many different types of allergies, food-related allergies cause about 150 Americans, mostly children, to die from anaphylaxis each year (Allergy Statistics). Within the subgroup of food-related allergies, more than 3 million Americans have been diagnosed with allergies to nuts and this number seems to be rising each year (Rubin 2009). As a result, awareness concerning nut allergies is becoming more important in today’s society.
There are many types of nuts, all of which grow on trees. The most common types of tree nuts that are available for purchase in the United States are: pecan, almond, walnut, hazelnut, pistachio, cashew, and macadamia (Saunders). There are many more tree nuts that come from around the world. Peanuts are classified as nuts for packaging reasons, but they grow underground. Peanuts are the most common nut that people have an allergy to.
A peanut is not really a nut according to its family. The peanut belongs to the legume family, which also includes peas and lentils (KidsHealth). The proteins in peanuts are similar in structure to those in tree nuts (TeensHealth). “For this reason, people who are allergic to peanuts can also be allergic to tree nuts, such as the ones mentioned above” (TeensHealth). The peanut does not grow on a tree. It actually grows underground like that of a potato or carrot. The crop is also a major farm source for the southern states. The peanut has many different names which include: Nu-Nuts, monkey nuts, beer nuts, earth nuts, goober nuts, and ground nuts (Peanut).
There are many ways for an individual to have an allergic reaction to nuts. The symptoms occur right after one has either ingested the nuts or has been in some kind of contact with nuts. Allergic reactions to nuts have even been covered in the news. One famous reaction that caught the eyes of people across the nation was about a girl who had kissed her boyfriend. The boyfriend had recently eaten peanut butter. She had an allergic reaction right after they kissed. The girl ended up dying from the deadly kiss (Parikh 2009). An individual can easily walk into a room, inhale the nut dust, and have an allergic reaction immediately.
There are many symptoms that show up when someone is having an allergic reaction. When an individual is having an allergic reaction some symptoms include: itching around the mouth, hives, abdominal pain, swelling tongue, difficulty breathing, vomiting and diarrhea (Peanut). If symptoms of the reaction have been recognized early, an antihistamine such as Benadryl can be given to alleviate these symptoms. In cases where Benadryl is unavailable or not give soon enough after symptoms begin anaphylactic shock may occur. Anaphylaxis is most commonly caused by peanut allergies. “Anaphylaxis is a sudden, severe, potentially fatal systemic allergic reaction than can involve various areas of the body (such as the skin, respiratory tract, gastrointestinal tract, and the cardiovascular system) (Saunders).” Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency that requires treatment with an epinephrine injector and a trip to the hospital. Some symptoms of anaphylaxis include: shock, with a severe drop in blood pressure, rapid pulse, dizziness, lightheadedness, or loss of consciousness (Mayo 2009). When an individual is having an anaphylaxis reaction, they should not be moving around because this can speed up the response (Saunders). This movement would cause the blood to move faster, thus making the nut proteins circulate faster. “The individual should lie on their back with their feet/legs elevated so more blood will remain close to the vital organs (Saunders).”
For an allergic reaction to take place, the individual has to have some kind of contact with that allergen. The three ways an individual to come into contact with nuts are: direct contact, cross-contact, and inhalation (Mayo 2009). With any of these contacts, the reaction can vary based on the degree of exposure to the nut allergen.
When an individual comes in direct contact with a nut, they usually have eaten a nut or a food containing a nut (Mayo 2009). This is the most common way an individual can have an allergic reaction to a nut. Another form of direct contact would be for the individual to have skin contact with peanuts. This can cause a severe allergic reaction.
When an individual has cross-contact reaction, they have come in contact with peanuts on accident. For this to happen the individual has either picked up a food with nuts in it or the food eaten has come in contact with another food that has nuts in it. This usually happens in an environment that the individual is not accustomed to.
An allergic reaction can also be caused by the inhalation of nut dust or residue. The individual can inhale products such as peanut flour or peanut oil cooking spray (Mayo 2009). For example, if an individual is driving past a pecan farm that is being cropped, the dust being produced, if inhaled, can cause an allergic reaction.
An individual can be diagnosed with a nut allergy two ways. It can be done by having a skin prick test or a blood test performed. Both tests are effective in showing if someone is allergic to a certain nut.
A skin prick test is done by pricking the skin (usually on the back) with small amounts of the proteins found in that nut to see if the individual has a response. If a response happens, the skin will raise forming an itchy bump (hive) at the test location. The testing is usually performed by a specialist in an allergy testing center.
The alternative to the skin prick test is a blood test. Blood is drawn from a healthy vein and sent off to a medical lab for testing. The medical lab will measure the amount of certain antibodies in your blood stream that react to nut proteins. Some people tend to be squeamish at the sight of their own blood, so these people will probably choose to have the skin prick test.
Reading food labels is the best way individuals can prevent themselves from having a nut reaction. When an individual is diagnosed with a nut allergy, the reading of food labels become a natural instinct when opening packaged or processed foods. Most companies put warnings on their packages to let the consumer know that the product either has nuts or was made with the same machinery that works with nuts. The companies will put a statement at the end of the ingredients saying “may contain nuts” or “made on equipment that also processes peanuts” (TeensHealth). When eating at cuisine restaurants individuals with nut allergies have to be extremely careful when choosing what to eat. Some examples of ethnicities that use nuts in their foods are Japanese, African, Thai, and Chinese. When in doubt, it is always best to ask if the food ordered contains nuts.
Some people are very allergic to nuts and this makes them take extra safety measures when deciding to go out in public. Most people wear a medical alert bracelet or necklace to let others know of their medical condition. For some who are severely allergic, use of man’s best friend, dogs, to protect them has become popular. Since our canine companions have such a strong sense of smell, they can be trained to smell nuts. These dogs are trained to search for nuts just like dogs that sniff for drugs.
One might think that avoiding nuts is easy, but it really isn’t. There are many recipes that call for nuts, and ingredients made from nuts. For instance, some chili recipes call for peanut butter to be added as a thickener. Candy is the most common food that contains nuts as an added ingredient. Some ingredients that are associated with peanuts are: nougat, marzipan, and hydrolyzed plant/vegetable protein (The Cleveland). Ingredients that are associated with tree nuts are: almond paste, nut butters, and artificial nuts (The Cleveland). Some foods that contains nuts are more obvious like cookies, ice cream, energy bars, cereals, and grain breads. Foods that are less obvious that contain nuts include salad dressings, cultural foods, arachis oils and some chocolates (Mayo 2009).
There are two treatments available that are being used to possibly cure the nut allergy. One of these treatments is allergy shots. The shots given to the patient contain small amounts of protein that eventually the body becomes immune to after about 4 years of shots. The patient begins to wean off of the shots through these four years. At present, these shots are the most effective means of treating nut allergies. The other treatment that doctors are using to lessen the effect of a nut reaction is to very slowly give children very small pieces of nuts in intervals of time. This approach also helps build up the immune system against the nut proteins. Though 20 percent of children outgrow their peanut allergy, these children should still be very careful around nuts (Rubin 2009).
People with nut allergies are at risk for an allergic reaction everyday of their lives. They are constantly looking for ways to keep themselves from having an allergic reaction to nuts. In the southern states, with all the peanut and pecan farming, it is harder for people to stay nut and nut dust free. The eight most common food allergies, which account for 90 percent of the allergies in the United States, are: dairy, soy, wheat, shellfish, fish, peanut, tree nut, and egg allergies (Groce 2009). Although peanut and tree nut allergies are not at the top of the list, they both play their part in bringing in patients year-round for allergic reactions.
The slow introduction of nuts to children and allergy shots are the treatments available to desensitize those allergic, but these approaches are not infallible. Nut allergies are very dangerous and should be taken seriously to prevent a reaction from occurring. Antihistamines are helpful in preventing an anaphylactic reaction, but only if given in a timely manner. Nuts are a very lucrative and tasty crop for the United States, but in those who are allergic, a severe reaction may cause death.
