Knowing the signs of food allergies

IT STARTS with a tingling sensation in the mouth, followed by coughing, vomiting, difficulty breathing and hives.

It might seem strange that all this can be caused by something as small and apparently harmless as a nut, but peanut and tree nut allergies are increasingly common – and can lead to some pretty severe symptoms.

When a child has a sudden allergic reaction like this, it can be very frightening for parents.

“The first reaction comes like a bolt out of the blue,” says Matthias Kopp, a German allergy expert.

“When and how the body becomes hypersensitive to an allergen and identifies it as harmful is poorly understood,” says Kopp, who is director of the Department of Paediatric Pneumology and Allergology at Schleswig-Holstein University Hospital.

Typical gastrointestinal symptoms include nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and severe abdominal cramps.

It’s also common to break out into a skin rash, or hives. Sabine Schnadt, a food allergy expert at the German Allergy and Asthma Association, says this can be one of the first signs of potentially fatal anaphylactic shock.

“Redness, swelling and itchiness can occur,” she says. “Usually several organ systems are affected simultaneously or successively.”

Another risk is that the airways can become constricted, which can lead to an asthma attack or even respiratory arrest.

If a child reacts this way after eating peanuts or tree nuts, parents should act quickly, Kopp says.

Being able to spot dangerous symptoms is crucial. Does the child have a tight throat? Has their speech changed, or are they complaining of dizziness?

If so, parents should immediately call the emergency services and wait for help.

Once the child has recovered, a diagnosis can be made. This can be done through a skin-prick test, or a test in which the child eats minute portions of potential allergens. Should peanuts or tree nuts cause an allergic reaction, they’re immediately off the menu.

Allergies are a concern for many parents, says paediatrician Ute Staden, who counsels parents and children on handling food allergies. “Going to a restaurant or letting the child attend a birthday party initially seems risky,” she says. “Everything’s manageable, though.”

Food manufacturers are required to state whether their products contain any peanuts or tree nuts, so reading lists of ingredients becomes second nature.

Many also put warnings such as “May contain traces of nuts” on the label. If the necessary information is not readily available, uncertain parents should contact manufacturers directly, as even tiny amounts can be dangerous.

Children with severe allergies should always have an emergency dose of adrenaline with them in the form of an injection. Administering this in an emergency can open the airways and reverse severe low blood pressure.

Parents – and children, when they’re older – can easily learn how to do administer such an injection in training courses.

Teachers, too, should know about the child’s allergy and how to inject the adrenaline if necessary. – dpa