Peanuts, Peanut Products Cause Most Severe Food Allergy Reactions In Children

Main Category: Allergy
Article Date: 09 Jul 2013 – 1:00 PDT Current ratings for:
Peanuts, Peanut Products Cause Most Severe Food Allergy Reactions In Children

Raise your hand if you like peanut butter. Most of us raise our hands, but some are forced to keep theirs down. They’re allergic.

Food allergies affect nearly 10 percent of children younger than 4-years-old, and the peanut allergy causes the most severe reactions. Exposure to even trace quantities of peanuts can lead to a fatal reaction called anaphylaxis, causing breathing problems and heart arrhythmias that can lead to sudden death.

Only 20 percent of kids grow out of it, so if it’s not you, chances are someone around you deals with a peanut allergy. There are more people with peanut allergies than ever before[1]. Rather than make jokes about those missing the joy of PB&J, let’s see what we can do to help.

Paranoid over Peanuts. Thanks to George Washington Carver (who found 300 new uses for the legume) we now have peanuts everywhere, and some sufferers aren’t sure how close in contact they can get.

Thirty kids, ranging from 4 to 15, with documented peanut allergies were challenged by casual exposure to peanut butter. Their previous reactions stemmed from being kissed by someone who ate peanut butter, being near PB&J sandwiches, even being exposed to peanut breath.

In the study, dishes were prepared with a scoop of peanut butter and placed alongside tuna and mint extract to hide the peanut odor. Other dishes replaced the peanut butter with soy butter as a placebo test. The dishes were covered with gauze and held to the kids’ noses for 10 minutes. For an hour, they were watched for reactions.

No one exposed to the peanut butter had a reaction. One person reported an itch on the roof of the mouth, but it was provoked by the placebo test and resolved spontaneously. Based on this, researchers found it unlikely that the smell of peanuts triggers an allergic reaction.

Another large study of 4,685 peanut-allergic individuals found only 1 percent reported reactions to airborne peanut dust, 91 percent reported ingestion was the culprit. This should be somewhat reassuring that the smell of peanuts is likely not harmful.

Butter Clean Up. A pinch of nuts on the tongue is enough to cause a reaction. The common peanut, Arachis hypogaea, has eight different protein allergens named after its scientific name, from Ara h1 to Ara h8. Some people are allergic to one, and some to all eight, so wiping up the peanut butter becomes important. A study showed liquid and bar soap cleans Ara h1 just fine, but antibacterial hand-sanitizer left traces on 6 of 12 hands[2]. Most household cleaning agents were sufficient in cleaning tables.

Symptoms alert. Reactions typically occur within 20 minutes of exposure and can range from itchy skin (most common) to GI complaints (least common). Asthma reactions (coughing, wheezing) or anaphylaxis are the most serious. Ingesting nuts is the most common cause, and rarely does skin contact cause a problem.

A third of people will have a second reaction from the exposure 1-8 hours after the first reaction has resolved. Allergic people should wear MedicAlert bracelets and have injectable epinephrine (e.g., EpiPen) readily available.

If you’re peanut allergy free, do what you can to help those less fortunate avoid the risks and just enjoy the jelly.

Through world-class research and patient care, UNMC generates breakthroughs that make life better for people throughout Nebraska and beyond. Its education programs train more health professionals than any other institution in the state. Learn more at unmc.edu.

Written by Michael Huckabee, Ph.D., professor and director of the University of Nebraska Medical Center physician assistant program

Article adapted by Medical News Today from original press release. Click ‘references’ tab above for source.
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posted by S Z Berg on 10 Jul 2013 at 7:56 am

Peanuts, Peanut Products Cause Most Severe Food Allergy Reactions In Children misinforms the public. Peanuts and peanut products do not cause the most severe food allergy reactions in children. Severity depends upon how allergic a child is. Anaphylactic reactions are not limited to peanuts.

S.Z. Berg
Award-winning Journalist
Blogger, The Huffington Post
Credits: New York Times, Washington Post, TheStreet.com,
Consumer Reports, Consumers Digest, The Scientist, Marie Claire, and others
Member, American Society of Journalists and Authors

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Stress Is One of the Most Important Asthma Triggers

Stress has multiple effects on the human body: it makes you more irritable, it decreases your power of focus, it makes you lack sleep or get extremely tired in the middle of the day and it can even contribute to the increasing of the negative effects produced by other chronic diseases. It is probably the biggest harm of the society and it strucks almost every individual from the society.

As nowadays everyone gets affected by stress, the asthmatics could not make an exception. Yet, what is worth in their case is the fact that stress can further increase the asthma symptoms and make the asthmatic feel worse when stressed. Many asthmatic have claimed that most of the asthma attacks have happened during periods when they were highly stressed. Thus the combination asthma plus stress is not quite a happy one.

Even though stress alone is not capable of producing asthma, it is able to further increase the gravity of this ailment, by contributing to the increase in intensity and duration of the asthma attacks. Thus, it is highly important that you learn to relax and remain calm in any situation. This means that you will have to learn how to cope with different situations without panicking. Also, it means that you will have to do your schedule in such a way as to have time to do each and every thing at your own peace. When feeling the pressure and the tension on your shoulders, there are many more chances of being hit by an asthma attack, so learn to take your time and not get panicked if you do not finish everything in due time. Remember that your health must be your main concern.

In order to get rid of stress, you should also start attending courses which teach you how to control your responses to stress. This way you will be able to manage your own capacities better and will not let stress overwhelm you, no matter how many things you have to do and how many problems you will have to solve. Meditation and relaxation sessions are also highly indicated if you want to get rid of stress.

More Information About Asthma Cure Click Here

Best 5 Most Dangerous Cities for live of the World

The crime statistics of world’s five most dangerous cities are disheartening and shocking. With such high rates of homicide, robberies and violence these cities deservedly bear the names of ‘the places of chaos and death’ or ‘the murder capitals of the world’. Despite the scary data, some of them still remain wanted tourist destinations, though extreme caution is strongly advised when visiting.

5. Cape Town. South Africa.

62 killings per 100 000 residents

Crime has been a major problem in South Africa (both for locals and travelers) for many years now, and the murder and robbery statistics loom large in today’s society.
The “good” news is that the number of killings declined by 3.4% to around 18 000 (sic!) between April 2008 and March 2009. Still there are 50 murders a day in South Africa. The latest data shows that there have been 71,500 sexual offenses (10% increase), 18,400 burglaries (27% increase), and 13,900 business robberies (41% increase) reported from April 2008 to March 2009. If it’s any consolation, the street robbery declined by 7% to 72,194.

The beautifully located Cape Town is among the most dangerous towns in the country due to its high level of robberies, rapes, kidnappings and murders. The city is about the same size as Caracas and it has a murder rate of 62 per 100,000 inhabitants. According to the police, the homicides usually occur in the poorer districts and suburbs of the town rather than in upscale areas. Due to the poverty (the country has been facing a deep recession) the robberies are common. Therefore, traveling alone and using ATM’s at night is not advised.

4. New Orleans. The USA.

95 killings per 100 000 residents

The homicide rate in New Orleans ranks way above other American cities and towns, and therefore the city has been named the murder capital of the USA. The total number of murders equaled 179 in 2008 in this small city of around 300,000 residents. Nevertheless, there have been 15% fewer killings in 2008 than in 2007 when the police reported 210 murders. Also other crime rates are dropping in the town. Rape went down by 44% and armed robbery 4.85% in 2008 in comparison to 2007.

Still, according to the FBI data there have been 95 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2008. In turn New Orleans Police Department reported 67 murders per 100,000 in 2008. A scary comparison has recently been made by the Time magazine stating that Baghdad in Iraq with its murder rate of about 48 per 100,000 people is now being safer, considering the statistics, than New Orleans.
Violent crime is a serious problem especially in the low-income neighborhoods of the town. Lonely Planet advises travelers to New Orleans to be cautious and avoid walks at night, especially if you are alone.

3. Caracas. Venezuela.

130 killings per 100 000 residents

Another unsafe destination among world’s most dangerous cities is Caracas, the capital of Venezuela.
At the end of 2008 the Foreign Policy magazine called the city “the murder capital of the world”. According to the official statistics there have been 130 homicides per 100,000 residents in 2008. Only in December 2008 there were at least 510 people killed in the capital, as CNN reported.

The problems of Caracas are not only drug trade and gang battles, but also increasing poverty of the city inhabited by around 4 million people. Murders mainly take place in the capital’s poorest areas – between 1970s and 1990s the poverty rate increased by 300% to 65%. Although during the oil boom the economic situation improved, the poverty level remains very high.

Moreover, experts underline that the murder ratio has increased by 67% since President Chavez took control over the country. There is police abuse, no gun control, and no good control over the militias, as various media report.

2. Ciudad Juárez. Mexico

130 killings per 100 000 residents

Also Mexico, one of the world’s greatest travel destinations thanks to its fascinating history and stunning natural sites, is, unfortunately, facing a serious problem of robbery, kidnapping, sexual assault and drug-related crimes.
Among worst affected areas in the country is the Chihuahua state and, above all, Ciudad Juárez. The city located across the U.S and Mexican border, home to 1.5 million people, has recently got a very bad reputation due to its shocking rates of violence. Bloody and violent fighting between the drug cartels have spread across the town, posing a serious threat to locals and travelers.

Since January 2007 there have been 8330 drug-related murders reported in Mexico, of which 50% accounted for Ciudad Juárez. The city reports 130 murders per 100,000 inhabitants (as of August 2009), which is currently the world’s highest murder rate ( outside the official war zone). In February 2009 the U.S. State Department announced that since January 2008 there had been 1,800 people killed in the city.

1. Mogadishu. Somalia.

No data

The governments’ warnings about traveling to Somalia are unanimous: this African country remains extremely dangerous and there is an enormous risk to anyone’s security due to the threat of terrorism, clan-based and ethnic fighting as well as high level of kidnapping and piracy off the coast.

The epicenter of this brutal crimes and cruelty is Mogadishu, Somalia’s capital. The city has been devastated by the ongoing civil war. As of 2008, around half of the city’s population (0.5 million) have left the war-torn capital, according to the United Nations. Dozens of people are wounded every day in Mogadishu, and frequent bombings kill many of civilians. No one really knows how many people have been killed in the city, but without dispute Mogadishu remains the most lawless and dangerous city in the world. This is how BBC describes the everyday scenes in Mogadishu: “The crump of mortars; the crackle of gunfire; eerily empty streets; prowling guerrillas and looters; sprawling refugee camps; hospitals overflowing with casualties, their bodies smashed open by bullets, shells and shrapnel…”.

Since the overthrow of President Siad Barre in 1991 one million people have lost lives in Somalia due to the civil war and famine.