A dozen years ago, you may not have even heard of the problem. Now, most public schools have a special area in the cafeteria reserved for those who have it: Nut allergies (including tree nuts and peanuts) have risen at an alarming rate – and medical researchers have yet to determine why.
According to a study by the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, the odds of a child being diagnosed with a peanut or tree nut allergy more than tripled between 1997 and 2008. Scientists in the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia have reported findings in similar proportion.
Food service facilities have scrambled to find ways of protecting themselves against potential legal issues, but without alienating their customer base. An “Eat at your own risk!” sign in a restaurant is not likely to be good for business.
Why should you care?
I had no idea my son had a nut allergy – until my wife gave him a sliver of cashew one evening. His face quickly began itching and swelling. She gave him an antihistamine. He began experiencing labored breathing, so she called me in from the garage. I first started to carry him to the car, figuring to take him to the doctor, but stopped short when I saw how quickly his symptoms were escalating.
I used my cell phone to dial 911. It was a good thing I did…we may have lost him. We lived within a mile of the ambulance station, so the crew was able to get there quickly and inject him with a drug that probably saved his life. I spent that night in a chair beside his hospital bed, looking at my boy and thanking God he was still with me.
What if we would have been out camping in a remote location when it happened, though? I don’t even want to think about the possibility.
Nut allergies are serious – especially when you don’t even know one exists. Critics point out that, of the perhaps 4 million Americans afflicted, only a few hundred die from the malady each year. But what if your child is one of those few hundred? Does it matter then?
Critical advice
Here are some ideas and observations that can help:
- When you allow your child to eat peanuts or tree nuts for the first time, be sure medical help is nearby, just in case. While the odds are only about four in one hundred there will be a problem, in my opinion (and experience) those odds are too high to risk. Do the math: One in every twenty-five children could experience a life-threatening episode due to a nut allergy.
- If your child has already been diagnosed with the disorder, your physician has probably given you a prescription for an epinephrine auto-injector (EpiPen). Keep one with your child at all times – and when you eat at a restaurant, be sure to ask whether there are any tree nut or peanut contaminants in your food. Surprisingly, though, many food workers won’t understand what you are talking about.
Incredibly, I asked about any use of nuts or peanuts at a café one day and was told they don’t use nuts at all – then, as an afterthought, the cook came out and said, “But we cook everything with peanut oil. Will that hurt?” I have a hundred horror stories like that. Having a child with a nut allergy will change your life.
- The buzz amongst health professionals now is that there may soon be desensitizing techniques that can slowly get rid of the allergy. Normally, once a person has the problem it doesn’t go away. Talk to your physician about treatment options.
Meanwhile, maintain vigilance and be sure to explain to a child who has nut allergies exactly why he or she needs to be careful not to take food from anyone without your permission.
Friends and family are often the worse at this. They can’t understand how “just one little cookie” can hurt. Stand your ground – and don’t trust that anyone (even Grandma) will grasp the seriousness of the situation without some help and education.
About the author: Lane Goodberry focuses on topics related to health and wellness, environmental issues and entrepreneurship.
Credits: Photo courtesy of Mehu Fiefiota.