We have come across an interesting post by our road safety partner ER24 about the risks of allergies to nuts. We would like to share this post on this platform as well:
“It seem that some people think is not a big deal, but nut or peanut allergy can cause difficulty breathing and anaphylactic shock, called anaphylaxis.
This is a sudden, life-threatening allergic reaction in which several problems occur all at once. A person’s blood pressure can drop, breathing tubes can narrow, and the tongue can swell.
People at risk for this kind of a reaction have to be very careful and need a plan for handling emergencies when they might need to use special medicine to stop these symptoms from getting worse.
That’s why it’s very important for someone with a nut or peanut allergy to avoid eating nuts and peanuts, which can be tough because they’re in lots of foods.
An allergic reaction could happen right away or within a few hours after the person eats a nut or peanut.
Friends and family who are aware of the allergy, usually refrain from eating nuts or peanuts and keep them out of their homes, but what do you do when there has been exposure to the food substance with nuts and the people around you don’t know of the danger surrounding your allergy. Many people with this allergy have a very low tolerance for contact with foodstuff containing nuts and even some forms of indirect contact with these or foods cooked in nut oil can initiate an allergic reaction.
It is extremely important to make it known to your family and friends that you suffer from this form of allergy, as their knowledge of what is taking place could save precious minutes in them activating the emergency services to your location. If you carry medication on your person in case of exposure, ensure that should you not be able to administer it yourself, someone else knows how to assist you as it could be lifesaving.”
[Info via blog.er24.co.za]
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