Peanut allergy: main symptoms and what to do

In case of a small allergic reaction to peanuts, which can cause itching and tingling of the skin or reddened eyes and an itchy nose, it is recommended to take an antihistamine such as Loratadine, for example, but always under medical supervision.

When there is an intense allergic reaction and the person has swollen lips or begins to have difficulty breathing, they should go to the emergency room as soon as possible, without taking any medication first. In this case, the reaction may be so severe that it prevents the passage of air, requiring a tube to be placed in the throat to be able to breathe, and this can only be done by a rescuer or doctor at the hospital.

Main allergy symptoms

Peanut allergy is usually discovered in childhood, and especially affects babies and children who have other allergies such as asthma, rhinitis or sinusitis, for example.

Signs and symptoms of peanut allergy can appear moments or up to 2 hours after consuming the peanut itself, a sweet like paçoca, or even small traces of peanut that may be present on the packaging of a cookie. Symptoms can be:

Severe allergic reactions that cause anaphylaxis and inability to breathe usually occur within 20 minutes of consuming peanuts, and preventing allergy attacks in the future is key to living with a severe peanut allergy. Find out what anaphylaxis is and what to do.

Online symptom test

To find out if you may have an allergy, such as peanut allergy, please list your symptoms below:

This test is a tool that serves as a means of guidance only. Therefore, it is not intended to provide a diagnosis or replace consultation with an allergist, immunologist or general practitioner.

How to confirm if you have a peanut allergy

The best way to know if your baby is allergic to peanuts is to offer them a small amount of powdered peanuts for them to taste. This can be done with babies aged 6 months or according to the pediatrician’s guidance, but it is important to pay attention to the first signs of allergies such as irritability, itchy mouth or swollen lips, for example.

For babies who are at high risk of having a peanut allergy because it has been proven that they have an allergy to eggs or because they have frequent skin allergies, the pediatrician may advise that the first test be carried out in the office or hospital to ensure the baby’s safety. .

If these symptoms are present, you should take the baby to the pediatrician because blood tests can be carried out to confirm the allergy. However, anyone who has never tried peanuts will have an exam without any changes, so it is always necessary to expose the child to peanuts before carrying out the exam.

How to live with allergies

The allergist doctor will be able to indicate what needs to be done to control peanut allergy, avoiding its consumption or even consuming small doses daily on a constant basis so that the immune system becomes accustomed to the presence of peanuts and does not overreact.

Therefore, consuming 1/2 peanut per day is more useful in preventing the body from overreacting to consuming peanuts than simply excluding peanuts from the diet. In most cases, with the complete exclusion of peanuts from the diet, when consuming even small amounts, the body reacts very intensely, which is serious and can cause death by suffocation.

List of foods to avoid

In addition to peanuts themselves, anyone who is allergic to this food also needs to avoid consuming anything that may contain peanuts, such as:

• savory biscuit;
• Peanut candy;
• Creamy paçoquita;
• Nougat;
• kid’s foot;
• Peanut butter;
• Breakfast cereal or granola;
• Cereal bar;
• Chocolate;
• M&Ms;
• Dried fruit cocktail.

For those who are going through the adaptation period, to avoid an anaphylactic reaction, you should consume small amounts of peanuts daily, which is why you should read the label of all processed foods to identify whether they contain peanuts or traces of peanuts to better control the amount of grain you consume per day.