Nut allergy ‘hidden in asthmatic children’

CHILDREN WITH asthma may not realise they are allergic to peanuts because the symptoms are so similar, a study has suggested.

Scientists who carried out a study said symptoms such as shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing are seen in both conditions.

They analysed the records of more than 1,500 children from the paediatric respiratory clinic at Mercy Children’s Hospital in Toledo, Ohio, and found one in 10 tested positive to peanut sensitivity. But more than half of these children and their families were not aware and did not suspect there was any sensitivity to peanuts. They found the prevalence of known peanut allergy was similar across age groups.

Lead author Robert Cohn said: “Many of the respiratory symptoms of peanut allergy can mirror those of an asthma attack, and vice versa. Examples of those symptoms include shortness of breath, wheezing and coughing. This study demonstrates children with asthma might benefit from a test for peanut sensitivity, especially when control of wheezing and coughing is difficult to achieve.”

He added that further research should be carried out into the connection.

Asthma affects one in 11 people in the UK, including 1.1 million children. Asthma UK said it is a “complex condition and years of research underfunding means it remains a relative mystery”.