What needs to be known About Peanut Allergy

Peanut allergy is an issue, which is growing, as the availability and price of peanuts both are suitable for a wide usage. Peanut can grow easily in a not-so-fertile soil and its high it is the poor man’s source of protein. Previously peanut allergy was not as widespread as peanut was not used in the main menu of Indians.

The problem of peanut allergy is more because the labeling of the products containing peanuts does not contain the actual list of contents.  This is the main reason why the identification of the allergy is so difficult. Most of the times it is denoted as vegetable hydrolyzed protein, and at other times as groundnuts. It is obvious that this issue will not be increasing as the usage of peanut increases and the situation is about to get worse.

The seriousness of the peanut allergy is that it causes severe anaphylactic shock resulting in shock, unconsciousness and sometimes death. The attending physician has to diagnose and treat peanut allergy within minutes otherwise it may become fatal.

1. Eyes, swollen or itchy lips, hives, flushed face, mouth, or tongue.
2. Sense of foreboding, apprehension or fear.
3. Difficulty swallowing or breathing, drooling, wheezing, choking, coughing, voice change, running nose.
4. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and stomach pains.
5. Tightness in chest, throat, or mouth,
6. Loss of consciousness, coma, death
7. chills, dizziness, rapid heartbeat, sudden fatigue, unsteadiness,

The following factors make peanut allergy almost fatal.

1.  Improper labeling and failure to read labeling before consumption of eatables.
2.  Contamination by sharing food, using same utensils, and also by kissing someone who is eating peanuts.
3. The final factor being lack of awareness about the allergy, not wearing the medical bracelet so that others will not serve peanuts to allergic individuals, and also psychological denial of having peanut allergy.

The only way to combat this is by carrying proper medication and being careful about consumption of eatables.