What is a Nut Allergy?
Being allergic to nuts means that your body reacts to peanuts and tree nuts (like those below) differently than other people. Instead of eating them without a reaction, your body reads the protein from these nuts as an invader and reacts accordingly. It creates specific antibodies called immunoglobin E as a defense against harmful proteins. When these antibodies are released, they trigger the release of chemicals in the body among them histamines. The release of this chemical affects the skin, gastrointestinal tract, cardiovascular system and respiratory system causing allergy reactions such as wheezing, stomachache, itchy hives, vomiting and swelling. In extreme cases, the body can go into anaphylaxis a sudden and potentially life threatening reaction that along with the other symptoms listed can cause the airways to swell shut and blood pressure to drastically drop. At this point the person may have trouble breathing and even fall into unconsciousness. Most Common Nuts That Cause Foo
