Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: allergies + allergy + nuts  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/7/2008)

Students With Food Allergies Often Not Prepared Science Daily (press release) - The most common food allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, eggs, fish, shellfish, soy and wheat. Food allergies can lead to death; a life-threatening ... UC Researcher Primed to Study the Culprit Behind Those Dangerous ... PressZoom (press release), Netherlands - 46 minutes ago Severe food allergy is most frequently caused by peanuts and tree nuts, especially in adults, says Finkelman, a professor of medicine in UC s ... Crunch time for peanut allergies Independent, UK - Aug 4, 2008 ... aged from four to 14 with peanut allergy, found more than half lost their sensitivity and were able to eat the nuts without provoking a reaction. ... No, thanks. I'm allergic Suburban Journals, MO - Aug 5, 2008 Smith's 3-year-old son is allergic to both peanuts and tree nuts, such as almonds and walnuts. The child's allergy is so severe, he cannot smell nuts or ... Honored by Asthma & Allergy Foundation Old Colony Memorial and Plymouth Bulletin, MA - Aug 5, 2008 That was how he discovered that he had developed a soy allergy, in addition to his previously known allergies to nuts, legumes, and latex. ... Rescued dog sniffs out allergens North Platte Bulletin, NE - Aug 5, 2008 by George Lauby (North Platte Bulletin) - 8/5/2008 Lawless, 17, suffers from peanut allergies. She?s had them since she was 10 months old. ... Telegraph.co.uk Nut allergy: With one kiss, I could kill my husband Telegraph.co.uk, United Kingdom - Jul 27, 2008 Food allergens - particularly those in nuts - can remain in saliva for hours. In 2005, a Canadian teenager with an extreme nut allergy died from acute ... Allergy free sweets in New Jersey 7Online.com, NY - Aug 4, 2008 By Kemberly Richardson NEW JERSEY (WABC) -- More people than ever say they have food allergies, everything from milk to nuts. But just because you have them ... Ahhh...Chocolate Is Now a Delicious Reality for People with Food ... MarketWatch - Jul 30, 2008 More than 12 million Americans have food allergies, and diagnoses are on the rise. Eight foods, including wheat, dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, egg, soy, ... Just Say No to Nuts During Pregnancy U.S. News & World Report, DC - Jul 15, 2008 And, if you can pass on the antibodies that cause nut allergy from mother to fetus, why not other allergies as well?" she asked. However, she did suggest ... Asthma risk from pregnancy nuts BBC News Expectant mums who eat nuts boost child asthma risk Reuters UK Nut products increase risk of childhood asthma: study Canada.com guardian.co.uk - Scotsman all 96 news articles »

Help! My granddaughter is allergic to nuts

 Nut allergy does appear to be on the increase. We hear a lot about peanuts but other nuts can cause allergy such as, in your granddaughter's case, Brazil nuts. It is essential that a child with a suspected nut or any other severe allergy is seen by a doctor, usually a paediatrician, specialising in allergy to work out exactly what substances can set off a reaction.

As well as food allergies, insect stings and drug reactions can also cause severe allergic reactions. Most people with an allergy may find they react to one or two substances very severely but not to others. Therefore your granddaughter may have been found to be allergic to Brazil nuts and possibly to some other types of nut but may not be allergic to other foods, insect bites or drugs. You say that she has been tested at the hospital who will have told her parents exactly what she needs to avoid.

You quite rightly ask about foods, creams and shampoos. If someone has a nut allergy they will react not only to eating nuts but also to any skin contact with nuts. For example she might have an allergic reaction after sitting on a chair where nuts had been spilt and cleared away earlier. Packaging requirements are such that all foodstuffs must carry full details of all contents and additives.

Your granddaughter's GP can refer her to the dietician attached to her local hospital or community health department who will be able to advise on exactly what to look out for on packaging. Most skin creams and shampoos also carry full details of contents but this is not always reliable. As there is a chance they may contain nut oils or extracts to which your granddaughter could react I would suggest that she only uses hypo-allergenic products bought from a pharmacist who can confirm their contents.

I presume the allergic reaction your granddaughter is at risk of is the one known as anaphylactic shock. This kind of allergic reaction is potentially life threatening as the windpipe can become swollen making breathing difficult, causing shock as you describe and starving the body and in particular, the brain, of oxygen.

Immediate treatment with an adrenaline injection reverses the reaction and is lifesaving. Families of children with such an allergic tendency are usually given at least two pre-loaded syringes of adrenaline which are easy for a lay person to administer.

The most commonly used form of this is Epipen auto injector which looks like a pen. The hospital or GP will probably have already prescribed Epipens for your granddaughter and explained that arrangements need to be made for her to have access to the Epipen at all times.

This may mean that she carries it on her person (eg in a pocket or bum bag) or that her parents or a named responsible adult trained in its use always carries it with them at school and particularly takes it on school trips. The school nurse is usually the person responsible for co-ordinating arrangements and training the school staff in the use of the Epipen. Parents and other involved relatives such as yourself can be taught how to use the Epipen by the practice nurse at the GP surgery or by the medical team at the hospital.