Overview

Peanut allergies is the most common type of food allergy found in people and is generally caused by peanuts or products containing peanuts. Peanut allergy is very tough to resist as many products contain peanut even other food item contain peanut flavour causing allergy.

Symptoms

The Symptoms of peanut allergy start as soon as eating peanut of food items containing peanut. The symptoms can vary from stomach pain to skin irritation. Some of the most common symptoms include hives and skin rashes, itching in mouth and throat, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea, wheezing and shortness of breath, nasal congestion and tight feeling across chest.

Severe peanut allergies include anaphylaxis which causes blockage of airways that causes breathing problem or even stops breathing completely. Other signs are swollen throat, drop in blood pressure, increase in pulse rate. Sometimes person becomes dizzy and unconscious.

Causes

The causing factor of peanut allergy is same as of other food allergies. It is also causes as a reason of malfunction of immune system. The body immune system takes the peanut’s proteins as a dangerous body which needed to be attacked producing immunoglobulin antibodies which in turn causes release of histamines and other chemicals. This leads to the occurrence of symptoms in the allergic person body. Person with Peanut allergic family background are more prone to suffer from this allergy.

Test

Generally a skin prick test or blood test is done to test whether the person is allergic to peanut or not. In skin prick test, a small part of skin is taken and is exposed to proteins found in protein to found reaction to proteins. In blood test, the immune system response to peanuts protein can be checked.

Treatment

The peanut allergy can be prevented by avoiding peanuts and food product containing peanuts. Antihistamines is prescribed for minor symptoms while for severe symptoms or those with anaphylaxis can go for EpiPen or adrenaline injections. Person with severe symptoms should be hospitalized soon as the reaction may occur after some time again.