Tree Nut Allergies

Great post, thanks for explaining this. I think my niece carries one, my mom does not, she just stays far away from strawberries.

Hi howard96h, well, let me see how I can help you. I read that a food allergy is an immune system response to a food that the body mistakenly believes is harmful. Once the immune system decides that a particular food is harmful, it creates specific antibodies to it. The next time the individual eats that food, the immune system releases massive amounts of chemicals, including histamine, in order to protect the body. These chemicals trigger a cascade of allergic symptoms that can affect the respiratory system, gastrointestinal tract, skin or cardiovascular system. That is what causes allergies. That is why people break out in hives, have itchy, swollen throats and drastic plunges in blood pressure. Did that help? I did the research, hope I have been helpful in answering your question. It helped me to understand it better too. I hope that your niece and Mother carry EpiPens. See how sensitive a person can be, you said your Mother cannot even smell them without having an attack. That is a potent statement. Thanks for responding, take care...I think I need to add that I found this information at www.foodallergy.org/questions.html

Hi howard96h, how are you? Well, I think it would be a good idea for your Mom to have an EpiPen if she could get one. I love strawberries and am happy I am not allergic to them. Thanks for responding again and I am sorry that I have taken so long to respond...Take care...

I am happy to hear that you have never experienced anaphylactic shock, it is very scary. My sister is allergic to tomatoes too. She also is allergic to shellfish, lots of people are. I have never heard of anyone having allergy shots. That must be a comfort. What types of foods are you allergic too, if I may ask? Thanks for responding, take care and be careful...

Its easier to say what I'm not actually allergic to. So far, I've only reacted to the mercury in fish - and that was when I was having all my fillings replaced with crowns so I had a higher than normal mercury level any way. Then there's lemons, plums, oats and carrots - and I think I'm getting sensative to carrots. What I'm most accutely allergic to is corn, and talk about reading labels, they even hide it under "food starch" instead of naming it. I can't even take medications with corn starch in them. Its the corn protein I'm allergic to so I can handle small amounts or corn syrup, but I don't go for stuff made from a lot of it - I avoid sugared sodas & things like "artifical maple syrup" that is just flavored corn syrup. I've probably had the allergy since I hit my teens but didn't discover it until I was out of college - gee, I wonder why my grades weren't that great? Maybe because I was SICK all the time? But in 1984 I got a serious reaction to corn & it went on until I got back to the allergist in 1986 & then, the first thing I eliminated on the elimation diet was the DIET! Everything I was supposed to eat was making me sick. I ate a lot of fish for a while - in fact, between that event & the mercury reaction later has really put me off most fish. But its nice to not have an ongoing migraine. Too bad it wasn't caught before I got all my other problems.... Between the injuries I've had & the inflamations because of the food allergies I've developed fibromyalgia. Ya know what they put in those strong anti-inflamatories??? you guessed it, corn starch!

Thank you crazynurse. Yes, the epipen is a wonder. Bee allergies can be very bad too. It's funny, when I was a child, it was a walnut that I was given and that was what triggered my first allergic reaction to nuts. Thank goodness your friend is a nurse, she knew just what was happening to her son. Lot's of people do not know the symptoms. Thanks for responding, take care now...

Thank you for responding theproperator, I know that macadameia nuts are the worse for me. I ate some years ago and it was the worse reaction I ever had. I got to the hospital just in time, the doctor said he would have had to do a trachectomy if I'd been a few minutes later arriving. You be careful with the nuts because my doctor says that as time goes by, lots of people get more sensitive to their allergies. Some people never had the allergic reactions and all of a sudden it can happen. Take care and thanks for responding...

Very wise choice favefive. You should carry the epipen just for your own safety. Shellfish allergies can be very, very bad. My sister is allergic to shellfish too. Sometimes in resturants you might encounter shellfish being cooked and that can set off an allergic reaction. My sister cannot have shellfish cooked around her. Thanks for responding, take care of yourself...

Hi lloydanthony111, You are very lucky. I always read about all the health benefits of eating nuts. I can eat peanuts being that they are considered beans because they grow in the ground. And yes, the EpiPen is a wonderful thing, it saves lives. I am very careful and hopefully I won't need the pen ever again, but it is nice to know that I have it just in case. Thanks for responding, take care now...