4 ms·

it is good to see some progress with allergy treatment, especially peanut allergy. Many do not understand how having peanuts in the same room can cause allergy,

it is good to see some progress with allergy treatment, especially peanut allergy. Many do not understand how having peanuts in the same room can cause allergy, so it is difficult to avoid it.

Keverw 7y ago
Yeah, I heard same room it can cause a reaction. I know a stake house we go to usually has them at the table, but last time didn’t have any. Seen someone else with some though, so apparently you can still ask for them. Probably done because of allergy concerns. Seems odd allergies seems more common than it used to be. I know I seen on the news one night they recommend introducing peanuts to babies earlier now.
- war1025 7y ago
  I've heard more than once that its related to living conditions being so much more clean / sterile than they used to be. If you don't come across different substances regularly, your body has a hard time determining whether they are good or bad and is more likely to react when it finds them.
  - FreeFull 7y ago
    There is also a more specific hypothesis, that allergies are caused by the parts of the immune system that would normally be fighting off parasites.
  - snsr 7y ago
    There are a number of theories, this amongst them. There is also a connection to atopic dermatitis, which causes a skin barrier issue that allows proteins to pass. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/scientists-identify-unique-subtype-eczema-linked-food-allergy https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/scientists-ide...
  - dd36 7y ago
    Allergy fear causes parents to not introduce peanuts at a young age and the lack of exposure causes peanut allergy. In Israel there is a peanut snack that children eat beginning very young. They have not seen the same uptick in peanut allergies.
    - lrg 7y ago
      Haha yeah it’s called Bamba, it’s a very delicious snack and my parents said they would let me eat a bunch of it when I was younger for this very reason. You can get it in the states.
      - pkaye 7y ago
        I've seen it in Trader Joes. Its nice but I got bored of it quite quickly.
    - cnparker 7y ago
      We introduced peanuts at a very early age. No impact. Our daughter had no allergies. Our son has an extreme peanut allergy. Based on this experience, I don’t believe early introduction helps.
      - Freak_NL 7y ago
        How did anecdotal evidence of two individuals change your stance on advice based on proper, large scale research and international teams of subject matter experts? There is no claim being made that allergies can be prevented for sure, merely that early introduction to allergens significantly reduces the risk.
    - exhilaration 7y ago
      The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends introducing children to peanut at an early age: https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/AAP-Clinical-Report-Highlights-Early-Introduction-of-Peanut-Based-Foods-to-Prevent-Allergies.aspx https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages...
  - dooglius 7y ago
    Further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene_hypothesis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene_hypothesis
  - 19870213 7y ago
    That can't be the only explanation, my first allergic reaction was at half-hour old (yes, at 30 minutes old), still have a scar from that on my face... ('What fight gave you that one?' 'Oh, the usual, formula milk as a newborn...') Though I suspect I'm still 'lucky' to only get rashes and 'hay-fever' reactions... Funny story, 32 years later I'm still allergic to lots of stuff (food, plastics, heat), a couple of years ago I was so sick of it I forced my GP to have me tested. (It was forced because he was of the opinion that we knew I had allergies, so testing for a known outcome wouldn't tell us anything.) He called me back asking why I was still alive... According to the results they found traces of a raging nut and peanut allergy (and other stuff some of which they didn't bother specifying further). So why am I still alive? I can't stand the smell nor taste of them, and they 'only' give me rashes and during accidental ingestion swollen lips/tongue...
    - rypskar 7y ago
      >>I can't stand the smell nor taste of them From what I know it is common to not stand the smell and taste of what you are allergic to. When a child really refuse to eat something it can be an idea to get it tested for allergy, since it unconscious can be because of how their body react to it.
dwightgunning 7y ago
I once shook hands with a new acquaintance who, unbeknownst to me, had just been snacking on a few peanuts at a bar: https://photos.app.goo.gl/7tvD65JmV45M4Mpw5 https://photos.app.goo.gl/7tvD65JmV45M4Mpw5
- NeedMoreTea 7y ago
  A handshake? Well that's me educated today. I'd always presumed food allergies required you to eat the problem food. I don't think I have ever, not once, seen a media piece on allergies point out that eating isn't always required. That seems like a major failing in the reporting of allergies over the years.
  - rypskar 7y ago
    Peanut allergy is often linked to pollen allergy, and peanuts can be pollen "bombs". So no need to eat it to get a reaction
  - bonniemuffin 7y ago
    Same here. I was quite surprised by the anecdote in the article about the person going into anaphylactic shock after having milk spilled on her hand.
  - est31 7y ago
    In fact the skin reaction is utilized for allergy testing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_allergy_test https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_allergy_test
    - NeedMoreTea 7y ago
      Now those I knew of, but they mostly use a pin prick or scratch, and then measure the reaction and swelling in the skin. Which if anything, reinforces the misunderstanding the allergen needs to get into the system directly. Though I hadn't encountered the patch tests wikipedia mentions. The article and mention of handshake leave me with an entirely different impression of how careful I might need to be if I started in food preparation etc.
dpark 7y ago
That's not just peanuts. Unfortunately essentially any allergy can be so severe that airborne particles are a problem. I met a kid who was so allergic to egg that he literally went into anaphylaxis when his parents cooked some.

it is good to see some progress with allergy treatment, especially peanut allergy. Many do not understand how having peanuts in the same room can cause allergy, so it is difficult to avoid it.

Keverw 7y ago

Yeah, I heard same room it can cause a reaction. I know a stake house we go to usually has them at the table, but last time didn’t have any. Seen someone else with some though, so apparently you can still ask for them. Probably done because of allergy concerns. Seems odd allergies seems more common than it used to be. I know I seen on the news one night they recommend introducing peanuts to babies earlier now.

war1025 7y ago
I've heard more than once that its related to living conditions being so much more clean / sterile than they used to be. If you don't come across different substances regularly, your body has a hard time determining whether they are good or bad and is more likely to react when it finds them.
- FreeFull 7y ago
  There is also a more specific hypothesis, that allergies are caused by the parts of the immune system that would normally be fighting off parasites.
- snsr 7y ago
  There are a number of theories, this amongst them. There is also a connection to atopic dermatitis, which causes a skin barrier issue that allows proteins to pass. https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/scientists-identify-unique-subtype-eczema-linked-food-allergy https://www.nih.gov/news-events/news-releases/scientists-ide...
- dd36 7y ago
  Allergy fear causes parents to not introduce peanuts at a young age and the lack of exposure causes peanut allergy. In Israel there is a peanut snack that children eat beginning very young. They have not seen the same uptick in peanut allergies.
  - lrg 7y ago
    Haha yeah it’s called Bamba, it’s a very delicious snack and my parents said they would let me eat a bunch of it when I was younger for this very reason. You can get it in the states.
    - pkaye 7y ago
      I've seen it in Trader Joes. Its nice but I got bored of it quite quickly.
  - cnparker 7y ago
    We introduced peanuts at a very early age. No impact. Our daughter had no allergies. Our son has an extreme peanut allergy. Based on this experience, I don’t believe early introduction helps.
    - Freak_NL 7y ago
      How did anecdotal evidence of two individuals change your stance on advice based on proper, large scale research and international teams of subject matter experts? There is no claim being made that allergies can be prevented for sure, merely that early introduction to allergens significantly reduces the risk.
  - exhilaration 7y ago
    The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends introducing children to peanut at an early age: https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/AAP-Clinical-Report-Highlights-Early-Introduction-of-Peanut-Based-Foods-to-Prevent-Allergies.aspx https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages...
- dooglius 7y ago
  Further reading: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene_hypothesis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hygiene_hypothesis
- 19870213 7y ago
  That can't be the only explanation, my first allergic reaction was at half-hour old (yes, at 30 minutes old), still have a scar from that on my face... ('What fight gave you that one?' 'Oh, the usual, formula milk as a newborn...') Though I suspect I'm still 'lucky' to only get rashes and 'hay-fever' reactions... Funny story, 32 years later I'm still allergic to lots of stuff (food, plastics, heat), a couple of years ago I was so sick of it I forced my GP to have me tested. (It was forced because he was of the opinion that we knew I had allergies, so testing for a known outcome wouldn't tell us anything.) He called me back asking why I was still alive... According to the results they found traces of a raging nut and peanut allergy (and other stuff some of which they didn't bother specifying further). So why am I still alive? I can't stand the smell nor taste of them, and they 'only' give me rashes and during accidental ingestion swollen lips/tongue...
  - rypskar 7y ago
    >>I can't stand the smell nor taste of them From what I know it is common to not stand the smell and taste of what you are allergic to. When a child really refuse to eat something it can be an idea to get it tested for allergy, since it unconscious can be because of how their body react to it.

dwightgunning 7y ago

I once shook hands with a new acquaintance who, unbeknownst to me, had just been snacking on a few peanuts at a bar: https://photos.app.goo.gl/7tvD65JmV45M4Mpw5 https://photos.app.goo.gl/7tvD65JmV45M4Mpw5

NeedMoreTea 7y ago
A handshake? Well that's me educated today. I'd always presumed food allergies required you to eat the problem food. I don't think I have ever, not once, seen a media piece on allergies point out that eating isn't always required. That seems like a major failing in the reporting of allergies over the years.
- rypskar 7y ago
  Peanut allergy is often linked to pollen allergy, and peanuts can be pollen "bombs". So no need to eat it to get a reaction
- bonniemuffin 7y ago
  Same here. I was quite surprised by the anecdote in the article about the person going into anaphylactic shock after having milk spilled on her hand.
- est31 7y ago
  In fact the skin reaction is utilized for allergy testing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_allergy_test https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skin_allergy_test
  - NeedMoreTea 7y ago
    Now those I knew of, but they mostly use a pin prick or scratch, and then measure the reaction and swelling in the skin. Which if anything, reinforces the misunderstanding the allergen needs to get into the system directly. Though I hadn't encountered the patch tests wikipedia mentions. The article and mention of handshake leave me with an entirely different impression of how careful I might need to be if I started in food preparation etc.

dpark 7y ago

That's not just peanuts. Unfortunately essentially any allergy can be so severe that airborne particles are a problem. I met a kid who was so allergic to egg that he literally went into anaphylaxis when his parents cooked some.