How long peanut allergic reaction

Only about 1 in 5 people with a nut allergy will grow out of it, and these tend to be the people who have mild reactions. If you have what is called atopy, or if atopy runs in your family, then you are more at risk of developing an allergy to nuts. Atopy is the name for a group of allergic conditions that include hay fever , asthma and eczema.

In particular, children who have eczema are more likely to develop a nut allergy. If you have an allergy to peanuts then you may also react to tree nuts. Both peanuts and tree nuts can cause allergic reactions. Allergic reactions to nuts can vary from mild to very severe, and are sometimes life-threatening.

Symptoms often start very quickly, within an hour of having come into contact with a nut, and sometimes within minutes. Reactions that take place more than four hours after coming into contact with nuts are unlikely to be an allergy. Signs and symptoms of a more severe allergic reaction can include:. This severe reaction is called anaphylaxis and without quick treatment you would soon become unconscious. A small number of people die every year as a result of this kind of severe reaction, usually because they do not obtain treatment quickly enough.

If you think you are having an anaphylactic reaction you need to call an ambulance straightaway and obtain immediate medical help. About 1 in 3 people with a nut allergy have an initial reaction to the nut, followed by a second reaction between one and eight hours after the first.

This is why it is important to stay in hospital after an initial anaphylactic reaction. Your doctor may suspect that you have a nut allergy from your symptoms. Your doctor may then ask a lot of questions. For example, the amount and type of food that you ate which caused a reaction, how quickly the symptoms started, how severe they were, how long they lasted, etc.

A skin prick test may be done to help confirm the allergy. For this test, a drop of nut extract solution is placed on the skin, usually on the forearm. Then, a needle prick is made through the drop.

This is usually painless as just the very surface of the skin is pricked. However, it is enough to let a tiny amount of solution into your skin.

If a reaction occurs, it happens within minutes. Do not take antihistamines on the day of the test as they may dampen any allergic response during the test.

You may also have a blood test. This measures the amount of a protein called IgE antibody which is produced as a result of an allergic reaction. If other tests are not conclusive then your doctor may ask you to take part in a food challenge. For this test you are given foods to eat that may or may not contain nuts. You will then be watched closely for minutes to see whether you have a reaction.

Food challenges are always done at a hospital or specialised setting because of the risk of a severe reaction. If you are found to be allergic to one type of nut, you may be tested for allergy to other nuts as well.

If you have an allergy to peanuts, you are more likely to have an allergy to tree nuts than a person who does not have a peanut allergy. Once an allergy has been confirmed, an allergy specialist will usually help you to devise a plan to manage it. This plan will be individual to you and will take into account how severe your reaction is. Preventing an allergic reaction from happening in the first place is a key part of living with a nut allergy.

So, learn to recognise foods that may contain nuts and avoid them. You may be referred to a dietician to help with this. Advice may include:. It is unlikely that you will always be able to avoid contact with nuts and you may be accidentally exposed to nuts at any time.

So, be prepared:. Make sure that you, and others around you like your friends and family, know that you are allergic to nuts and what to do if an allergic reaction starts:. Mild symptoms can last up to an hour but severe symptoms can last longer.

The only place for an allergy test is at the allergist's office, where they are specially trained and could give you medicine right away if you had a reaction. There is no special medicine for nut or peanut allergies and many people don't outgrow them. The best treatment is to avoid the nut. That means not eating that nut, and also avoiding the nut when it's mixed in foods. Sometimes these foods don't even taste nutty! Would you believe chili sometimes contains nuts to help make it thicker?

Staying safe means reading food labels and paying attention to what they say about how the food was produced. Some foods don't contain nuts, but are made in factories that make other items that do contain nuts.

The problem is the equipment can be used for both foods, causing "cross-contamination. People who are allergic to nuts also should avoid foods with these statements on the label. Some of the highest-risk foods for people with peanut or tree nut allergy include:. Talk to your allergist about how to stay safe in the school cafeteria. Also ask about how you should handle other peanut encounters, like at restaurants or stadiums where people are opening peanut shells.

People with nut allergies usually won't have a reaction if they breathe in small particles. That's because the food usually has to be eaten to cause a reaction. If you have a nut or peanut allergy, you and a parent should create a plan for how to handle a reaction, just in case. That way your teachers, the school nurse, your basketball coach, your friends — everyone will know what a reaction looks like and how to respond.

To immediately treat anaphylaxis, doctors recommend that people with a nut or peanut allergy keep a shot of epinephrine say: eh-puh-NEH-frin with them. This kind of epinephrine injection comes in an easy-to-carry container. You and your parent can work out whether you carry this or someone at school keeps it on hand for you.

You'll also need to identify a person who will give you the shot. You might want to have antihistamine medicine on hand too for mild reactions. If anaphylaxis is happening, this medicine is never a substitute for epinephrine. Complications of peanut allergy can include anaphylaxis.

Children and adults who have a severe peanut allergy are especially at risk of having this life-threatening reaction. Babies at risk for peanut allergy include those with mild to severe eczema, egg allergy, or both. Before introducing your baby to peanuts, discuss the best approach with your child's doctor. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.

Advertising revenue supports our not-for-profit mission. This content does not have an English version. This content does not have an Arabic version. Overview Peanut allergy is one of the most common causes of severe allergy attacks. Request an Appointment at Mayo Clinic. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references Burks AW, et al. Middleton's Allergy: Principles and Practice. Elsevier; Accessed May 18, Wang J.