The most common peanut allergy symptoms are generally of the milder variety, but these can be very wide-ranging. Peanut allergy is known for its ability to cause symptoms around the whole body, so a person may experience a very broad immune system reaction, including wheezing, coughing, sneezing, and vomiting. People also frequently suffer from diarrhea, skin rashes, and runny eyes. For some people, peanut allergy symptoms can be much more severe and even life-threatening because of a condition called anaphylaxis, which causes internal swelling and other potentially deadly consequences. The first time somebody reacts to a peanut allergy, the symptoms may be milder, and they may worsen to a great degree with the second reaction.
A flaw in the immune system causes peanut allergy symptoms. If a person has this allergy, his body reacts to peanuts as if they are some kind of bacterial threat. Every system in the body may attack the peanuts, and this can lead to severe symptoms, partly because peanuts are often consumed in very large doses. The bacteria themselves are microscopic.
If people have a severe reaction to peanuts and suffer from anaphylaxis, their throats may begin to close up, stopping them from breathing. This can happen very rapidly and potentially kill someone within minutes. Anaphylaxis can also cause other severe peanut allergy symptoms all over the body, including swelling of the face and extremities. Peanut allergy sufferers are often given a special medicine that must be administered by injection, just in case they develop anaphylaxis. They may also carry an antihistamine medicine that is taken along with the shot.
Once someone discovers that he has a peanut allergy, he will generally have to avoid peanuts for the rest of his life. Some food allergies will usually go away as a person ages, but peanuts don’t tend to work that way. It is also usually very important for a peanut allergy sufferer to learn a lot about which foods to avoid in daily life. There are many foods that have small traces of peanuts in them, and sometimes an allergy sufferer can be surprised by this. Parents are often advised to be especially cautious if they discover their child suffers from a peanut allergy, and it can be very important to alert anyone who cares for the child to know proper emergency procedures and foods to avoid.