How Do Peanut Allergies Affect Children?

Introduction

Many young children suffer from sever allergies starting at a very young age. The most common of these allergies are milk and peanuts. Peanut allergies have doubled since 1997, causing a real concern for parents across the nations with susceptible children (December 2003, JACI). Peanut allergies have also increased in severity with allergic reactions occurring with even minimal contact by the child. Some children do not even have to ingest peanuts to have a serious allergic reaction.

Symptoms of a Peanut Allergy

The following symptoms can be present if you have a child with a peanut allergy. The most obvious symptoms of a peanut allergy are hives or serious rash in the areas that have come in contact with peanut residue. Your child's face may also show signs of redness and swelling, especially around the mouth if the peanut has been ingested. Your child may also have severe stomach cramps, diarrhea, coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. In serious cases, your child's throat may also swell up to where they can no longer receive oxygen. Your child may also go into anaphylaxis shock where all of the symptoms listed above occur at once. If this happens, call 9-1-1 immediately.

How the Allergy is Diagnosed

Doctors diagnose a peanut allergy though a series of tests. The first test your doctor may do is a blood test. The blood sample will be sent to a lab and mixed with different food substances. The samples will be observed for antibodies to determine if the nuts are causing an allergic reaction. The doctor may also take small amount of peanut and place it on your child's skin. If a hive appears they will know that peanuts are the culprit.

Treatment

There are no cures for a peanut allergy. A few children grow out of the allergy as they get older, but most will deal with the allergy to some extent for the rest of their lives. This means the only treatment is to avoid peanuts all together. This can be very difficult since peanuts are found in thousands of foods, even foods that you can't taste the peanuts in. Someone with a peanut allergy must be vigilant in carefully reading food labels to insure that what they are eating does not contain nuts.

Having an Emergency Plan

If your child is allergic to peanuts, it is a smart idea to have an emergency plan in place. Because of how common peanuts are in foods, even foods you would not expect them to be in, and emergency could happen at any time. Letting teachers know about your child's allergy, and making sure that a shot of epinephrine is always nearby, will help to keep your child safe, even when you are not there.