Allergy to food is the reaction of the body when the immune system perceives them as foreign. It can occur on a variety of foods. Can you be allergic to walnuts? This phenomenon is considered very common. This is due to intolerance to the components of the product. The symptoms and treatment of allergies are described in the article.
Application
Scope of application is very wide:
- Kernels are used to create salads, sauces, pastries, hot dishes. They make nourishing oil.
- Leaves, shells, fruit partition are used in folk medicine. On their basis, infusions, decoctions are made, valuable for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, dysbacteriosis, diseases of the urinary system, biliary tract, atherosclerosis, tonsillitis, stomatitis.
- Since there are many vitamins in the kernels, they are used in cosmetology to saturate creams, cleansing and tonic products. The decoction strengthens and colors the hair.
- Partitions of fruits, leaves, bark stain fabrics,wool, carpets.
- To obtain roofing felt, linoleum, grinding stone, crushed walnut shells are needed.
- When creating artistic varnish and ink, in the production of soap, walnut oil is used.
This tree is very fertile. Some of its species live up to 400-600 years. The plant is heat-loving, it dies in severe frosts. Breeders are working to obtain new types of nuts that tolerate low temperatures.
Hybrid varieties are in demand in Russia. Dessert, elegant, plentiful look is popular. Each type of plant has its own characteristics. Any kind of nut can lead to an allergy that causes negative symptoms. Whatever the manifestations, the treatment required is the same.
Development of intolerance
Allergy is an inadequate immune response to foreign proteins. Of course, the body must recognize threatening molecules and neutralize them. The problem arises when the immune system considers food proteins to be allogeneic.
Reactions to nuts can come quickly and lead to serious consequences. The body will work hard and actively to remove the antigen from the body.
Reasons
Can a child be allergic to walnuts? The disease often occurs in children under a certain age. If the reaction appears only on certain nuts, then after a while it disappears. But if an allergy occurs, for example, to walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, the disease has a complex character andoften stays for life.
The main cause of walnut allergy is considered to be a violation in the defense system. Individual intolerance to the components present in the composition and heredity are important. Protein can provoke an allergy to a walnut, but it also appears from other components.
If one of the parents or relatives suffers from such an ailment, then the child may have a predisposition to it. To check this, an allergy test is required. This will protect the child from the occurrence of unpleasant consequences when the product is introduced into the diet. Allergy to a walnut occurs when the body is oversaturated with certain components that are in the nut.
Cross allergy
If the patient has an intolerance to walnut protein, then a cross-allergy to plant products with a similar amino acid set is likely. Negative reactions may appear on:
- beans;
- plums;
- apricots;
- grapes;
- peaches;
- flowering hazel and birch;
- latex.
Allergy to walnuts in 37% of cases provokes a cross-reaction to other nuts. With this condition, a person may have red eyes.
How does it manifest?
Symptoms of walnut allergy in adults can manifest singly or in combination. Usually the following systems suffer from the disease:
- Epidermis. It is observed very often. When a nut is eaten, there isrash, itching, red spots, swelling.
- Respiratory. There is an allergic rhinitis, nasal congestion, cough, usually at night. There are also bouts of shortness of breath.
- Digestive. Symptoms of a walnut allergy include itching, dermatitis around the mouth, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, numbness of the tongue, and diarrhea.
- Cardiovascular. Symptoms appear with a severe course of the disease. This may be a decrease in pressure, loss of consciousness.
Anaphylactic shock in walnut allergy is rare unless treated. This condition is considered deadly and requires immediate attention. Symptoms may appear immediately or after several hours.
When can I eat and what to replace?
Symptoms of walnut allergy in children are the same as in adults. In a child, the disease appears due to the immaturity of the immune system. Therefore, you can use this product from 3 years. If the child does not have a tendency to allergies, then you can give him 2-3 nuts after 2 years. For children aged 3-5 years, the daily norm is the number of fruits that fit in their palm.
Babies will not be allergic to walnuts if they do not receive this product. It should be introduced gradually, observing the reaction of the baby.
Do adults get allergic to walnuts? This is a common occurrence. Walnut is recognized as a useful product, but it can be replaced. Fats and oils that are in its composition are present in soy, yolk, salads and cocktails based ongerminated wheat. Wholemeal flour also contains trace elements and vitamins of a similar composition. Legumes are a substitute for vegetable protein.
How does this affect breast milk?
In children under 2 years of age, the product can cause disruption of the digestive system and lead to allergies. Therefore, the product should not be eaten by nursing mothers. The components in the nuclei penetrate through the milk into the body of the child. If the baby has a tendency to be allergic to nuts, then symptoms will appear very quickly.
Diagnosis
The presence of walnut allergy in adults and children is established by their complaints. Diagnosis is performed using:
- General blood test. Performed to determine the level of eosinophils.
- Radio allergy test.
- Establishing the level of immunoglobulin E.
- EIA.
Provocative texts are considered the most reliable way. There is a list of other activities, but for a person they may be unsafe. They are performed in laboratories under the supervision of specialists. When the component that leads to the reaction is identified, treatment is prescribed.
Danger
If walnuts cause allergies, then you need to exclude them from the diet. Even a small amount of the product should not be consumed. Even a small grain can cause anaphylactic shock and death. Nuts are the leading shock food.
Regular food intake, to which the body reacts negatively,can cause enterocolitis, gastritis, pancreatitis. It is necessary not only to exclude nuts in their pure form, but also to avoid the use of sweets, sauces, peanut butter. The product is used in the food industry, so it can be used in confectionery, chocolate.
First Aid
A person does not always know the exact composition of the foods he eats. Often an allergen enters the body by accident. In this case, can a walnut cause an allergy? This state is possible. In this case, you need:
- Remove the allergen from sight.
- Provide fresh air.
- Rinse your mouth.
- Take an antihistamine.
If symptoms of anaphylactic shock occur, you should act very quickly. Be sure to call an ambulance. Before the doctors arrive, a dose of epinephrine is administered. This drug is prescribed for all allergy sufferers, and it should always be at hand. The tool is available in a syringe pen so that help can be provided urgently.
Treatment
Whatever the symptoms of walnuts in adults and children, effective therapy is needed. Treatment is to get rid of the allergen. It is forbidden to eat not only the nut in its pure form, but also various dishes where it can be contained. Usually the product is added to:
- syrups;
- nut butters;
- liqueurs;
- Asian food;
- cosmetics.
Sometimes nuts cannot be eaten for certain ailments, such as psoriasis. Walnut, affecting the body,changes the acid-base balance. Taking drugs is prescribed only in special cases, when the symptoms are pronounced or there is a threat to life. Medicines only stop certain manifestations of the disease, for example, pain, diarrhea.
Treatment for walnut allergy in a child or adult:
- Systemic glucocorticosteroids.
- Epinaphrine.
- Antihistamines.
Allergic reactions to walnuts are more common in children. The main reason is considered to be a genetic predisposition or intolerance to some components. In the second case, the allergy may disappear. The treatment regimen depends on the severity of the symptoms. Medicines can get rid of the main symptoms. Due to the lack of treatment, a fatal outcome is likely.
Recommendations
Allergies can be cured. The tendency to disease is laid at the genetic level. Only the childhood form of intolerance disappears as the organs develop. And allergies in adults remain for life. But you can live with this so that the disease does not go into the active stage.
This requires:
- Following a diet that excludes nuts in any form. This is important for breastfeeding mothers.
- Be active.
- Strengthen immunity by hardening and course intake of vitamins.
- Get rid of bad habits.
- Go to the doctor for prevention.
- Take an antihistamine with you. Control the composition of manyproducts from the store are not allowed. But if there are walnuts in the dishes, you should always keep medicines on hand to drown out allergies at the initial stage.
Folk remedies
In alternative medicine, there are many recipes to relieve allergies, but they do not give the desired result. Therefore, such funds can not be used as an independent treatment. And when the symptoms of the disease are mild, herbal decoctions can be used. They treat diseased areas of the skin, make baths and drink.
In the presence of pollinosis, it is not worth treating with herbs. Traditional medicine helps only with skin ailments. If there are no contraindications to the use of non-traditional methods, chamomile, succession, St. John's wort and calendula are used. The best recipes are:
- Kalina (2 tablespoons) is poured with boiling water (250 ml), heated over low heat for half an hour. The broth is infused for 4 hours. It is filtered, consumed ½ cup every day.
- Chamomile (1 tbsp. L) should be poured with boiling water (300 ml). The mixture is boiled for 15 minutes, cooled. The product is infused for 1 hour. Painful areas are rubbed 5-6 times a day.
- In the pharmacy you can buy a calendula infusion. Cotton wool is moistened in it and the skin with a rash is treated. Procedures are performed 5 times a day.
Allergy herbs have a local effect, allowing you to quickly get rid of symptoms. Since they are considered powerful allergens, the risk of intolerance to the components of the products must be excluded.
Prevention
Toto prevent severe manifestations of allergies, it is necessary to consult a doctor in a timely manner. If this is done in time, it will be possible to stop the negative reaction. It is necessary to follow all the doctor's advice and a few rules:
- Don't eat dishes that are made from substances unfamiliar to humans.
- Relatives should take into account that the patient has a negative reaction to nuts.
- Always carry antihistamines with you.
What other nuts cause allergies?
If there are disturbances in the immune system, the body recognizes nuts as a threat. Certain antibodies are released that trigger a negative reaction. This process is manifested in any nuts. Allergies come from:
- Hazelnuts. Hazelnuts most often lead to allergies. This is due to the content of highly allergenic proteins. Therefore, many manufacturers inform the buyer about the likely presence of their traces.
- Pine nuts, almonds. The reason for the occurrence of negative reactions to these products is not fully understood. But it is believed that the symptoms occur due to a malfunction in the immune system.
- Pistachios. The product is a powerful allergen that causes complex allergic reactions. They also cross-react with the pollen of some trees, so they should not be consumed while they are in bloom.
- Peanut. Allergies are more common in children than in adults. The reason for the negative reaction are proteins with high allergenic activity: albumins, vicilins, legumins.
- Brazil nuts, cashews. These products lead toallergies due to the presence of vicilin-like globulins and profilins.
Thus, walnut allergy is common. But with a careful approach to your he alth, you can prevent the symptoms of its manifestation.
