Have a Nut Allergy? Have a Plan!

A health article fromYour Health Online the A to Z directory of dealing with Health Problems & nutritional Self Care Strategies

Have you ever heard the saying, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail? Truer words have never really been spoken and believe it or not, it actually is also true whenever it comes to allergies that we may have. Although many of us have allergies to a variety of different things that is in the environment around us, if we are dealing with a severe allergy, we need to make sure that we have a plan in place in order to overcome it.

One of the worst allergies that a person can have is that of a nut allergy. There are other allergies which are also just as severe, shellfish being one of them but if you have to deal with a nut allergy, you need to make sure that you are prepared in advance to be able to deal with it. There are two specific things that you need to do in order to be well prepared for a problem in this area. The first thing that you need to do is to be informed about the environment that is around you so that you can avoid them to the best of your ability. The second thing that you need to do is to be prepared in case an accident should happen to occur in which you ingest what you are allergic to.

People that are just learning about nut allergies are often shocked to find out that nuts are everywhere in the world around us. Even foods that do not contain nuts at all are often prepared in an environment that prepares foods which do contain nuts. Since we are dealing with an allergy that is extremely sensitive, even a little bit of exposure can make enough of a problem for you that it could kill you. Make sure that you understand all of these things and learn how to identify them in the environment around you

Secondly, you need to be prepared for whenever an accidental ingestion happens to take place. If you're having a mild reaction, you can also overcome it through the use of an antihistamine. Simply pick one up at your local drugstore and make sure you keep a fresh supply with you on a regular basis. For a more severe and life-threatening reaction, however, you need to make sure that you have a prescription of epinephrine with you. Be prepared in case something like this should happen, it could mean your very life.

Why Am I Having an Allergic Reaction to Nuts?

At times, it is not enough to simply enough that we are having a problem but we may want to understand what is going on underneath the surface. I know that whenever I was very young, my parents told me that I was not able to eat nuts and they were very strict with making sure that I avoided them. I came to appreciate that this was not because they were trying to keep me away from something that I should have, it was because they were concerned for my very life. The reactions that I had whenever I ate nuts were so severe that at times, it landed me in the hospital.

You might be surprised to find out what is at the root of your allergic reaction to nuts. Actually, it is not really the nuts that are causing you to have a problem at all, it is your own body. There are certain proteins that are present in all types of nuts and at times, our body may react to these proteins as if it were a dangerous toxin. In an effort to get rid of the protein, our body will release a massive amount of histamine into our system and this can cause us to feel the way that we do. This histamine can cause a number of different problems with this which can range from skin disorders to anaphylaxis, a deadly allergic reaction.

Unfortunately, there is little that can be done in order to overcome nut allergies. There has always been a lot of research that has gone into this but the best that they are able to do is to help you to cope with the symptoms that you experience if you should happen to come into contact with nuts. For example, if you have a slight reaction you may be able to overcome it by taking an over-the-counter antihistamine. If you have a more severe reaction, however, such as anaphylaxis, you may need to take an injection. Many people that have severe nut allergies carry an epinephrine autoinjector with them that quickly gives them the medicine that they need.

Since you understand the reason why you are having these allergic reactions, you can easily see the reason why an anti-histamine can help you overcome it. Always make sure that you are prepared, even though you will also what to make sure that you avoid nuts in the first place. Should you happen to come into contact with them accidentally, you should be able to overcome any reaction that you experience.

Growing up with Nut Allergies

Most children tend to eat almost anything that is put in front of them. Although some of them can be a little bit picky about the foods that they choose, they don't really have any problem eating these foods, even if they don't like them. For some of us, however, we may have to deal with nut allergies that can cause problems that are so severe, they can even take our life. This was the case with me whenever I was growing up and although I didn't understand it whenever I was a very young child, it didn't take many years for me to learn that I needed to stay away from these nuts altogether.

The most important thing about growing up whenever you have nut allergies is that your parents need to be totally involved in the situation. Children are unable to make these decisions on their own and they may not be aware of the dangers that are lurking in the background at times. A parent of a child that is dealing with nut allergies needs to make sure that they are informed and educated on the problem and where it may manifest itself. This is the only way that your child is truly going to be able to overcome the nut allergy as a result of strict avoidance of any food which may contain it.

It is also possible that you may come in contact with nuts as a result of touching things in the environment around you. For example, if you happen to go to a friends house that loves peanut butter, you could end up touching something that they also touched whenever they had peanut butter on their hands. Believe it or not, this is enough to invoke an allergic reaction in many children that is strong enough to kill them. Don't leave anything like this to chance. Make sure that you talk to anybody that your child is friends with and their parents so that they know exactly how severe of a situation you are dealing with.

Unfortunately, it is not a very comfortable thing to grow up in such a situation. It can lead to some embarrassment on the child's part and even some taunting from other children who may not understand their problem. Make sure that you stick to your program, however, because it is the only way that you're going to ensure the fact that your child is safe.




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