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What Happens to a Persons Body with Nut Allergies?

By: Phoenix Delray

Nut allergies are some of the most common food allergies that people can suffer from, both children and adults. Nut allergies can be mild, moderate, severe, and can also be life threatening. A severe reaction of nut allergies is called anaphylaxis, and can be fatal. The symptoms that go along with nut allergies often begin quickly, usually within an hour or even a few minutes after someone coming into contact with a nut.

There is no cure for nut allergies, and the only way to avoid nut allergy reactions is to strictly avoid the allergens. If someone does come into contact with nuts who has food allergies and a reaction starts, treating it quickly will help minimize the potentially serious risks to the person. If the person has a severe allergic reaction, if it is available, they should be given an adrenaline injection right away, and 911 should be called. Time is absolutely critical for people who suffer from nut allergies. If you are well prepared and act quickly to help, the risk of suffering serious problems from a nut allergy is small.

A nut allergy happens when the body over reacts to something that is harmless to others that are not allergic to nuts. Both peanuts and tree nuts can act as triggers for a nut allergy, and can cause these reactions in people. When a person comes in contact with something that they are allergic to, the cells in the body release histamine. This makes the tiny blood vessels in the tissues of the body leak fluids, causing them to swell. Depending on the severity of the nut allergy, the swelling can affect only the lips a little bit or the entire airway of a person. Even though peanuts are not really nuts, most people to place peanuts in the nut allergy category.

Other than peanuts, some of the most common nuts that can cause a nut allergy are hazelnuts, walnuts, cashews, pecans, brazil nuts, and pistachios. With a nut allergy, when the person comes into contact with nuts for the first time in their lives, the immune system reacts and prepares to fight. In this initial meeting with nuts, there is no reaction! It is during the second exposure to nuts that we see a reaction. Children who exhibit symptoms for the first time usually do not do it during their first exposure, but during their second. They usually already have come in contact with nuts through the mother while still in the womb or from breast milk as infants. Although some people do not have a nut allergy unless they eat nuts, others have such a strong nut allergy that they can have a reaction if they are just standing next to someone who is eating nuts, so a nut allergy presents itself differently for different people.

Article Source: http://www.bluearticles.com


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