Nut allergy

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Nut allergy is a type of food allergy. It is a hypersensitivity to dietary substances from tree nuts causing an overreaction of the immune system which may lead to severe physical symptoms for millions of people[1]. Nut allergy is slightly different than peanut allergy inasmuch as the type of nuts that cause the allergic reactions are not the same. Peanuts are considered legumes whereas tree nuts are considered dry fruits. The symptoms of peanut allergy and nut allergy are the same, but a person with peanut allergies may not necessarily also be allergic to tree nuts, and vice versa.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America estimates that the majority of pediatric and adult food allergy patients have a nut allergy[2]. It occurs mainly, but not exclusively, in children. It is usually treated with an exclusion diet and vigilant avoidance of foods that may be contaminated with tree nuts or nut particles and/or oils. The most severe nut allergy reaction is called anaphylaxis[3] and is an emergency situation requiring immediate attention and treatment with Epinephrine.

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  1. ^ National Institutes of Health, NIAID Allergy Statistics 2005 http://www.niaid.nih.gov/factsheets/allergystat.htm
  2. ^ “Allergy Facts and Figures,” Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=9&sub=20&cont=518
  3. ^ National Report of the Expert Panel on Food Allergy Research, NIH-NIAID 2003 http://www3.niaid.nih.gov/about/organization/dait/PDF/june30_2003.pdf
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