An allergy to products is called the reaction of the body when the immune system perceives them as alien. It can occur on a variety of foods. Could there be an allergy 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
The scope is very wide:
- Kernels are used to create salads, sauces, pastries, hot dishes. They make nutritious oil.
- Leaves, shell, fruit partition are used in folk medicine. Based on them, infusions, decoctions, valuable in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, dysbiosis, diseases of the urinary system, biliary tract, atherosclerosis, tonsillitis, stomatitis are made.
- Since there are many vitamins in the kernels, they are used in cosmetology to saturate creams, cleansing and tonic products. The broth strengthens and dyes hair.
- Partitions of fruits, leaves, bark stain fabrics, wool, carpets.
- To obtain roofing, linoleum, grinding stone, crushed walnut shells are needed.
- When creating artistic varnish and mascara, walnut oil is used in the production of soap.
This tree is very fertile. Some of its species live up to 400-600 years. The plant is thermophilic, it dies in severe frosts. Breeders are working on new types of nuts that tolerate low temperatures.
In Russia, hybrid varieties are in demand. The dessert, graceful, plentiful look is popular. Each type of plant has its own characteristics. Any kind of nut can lead to allergies, which cause negative symptoms. Whatever the manifestations, the same treatment is required.
Development of intolerance
Allergy is an inadequate immune response to foreign proteins. Of course, the body must recognize the threatening molecules and neutralize them. A problem occurs when the immune system considers food proteins allogeneic.
The reaction to nuts can occur quickly and lead to serious consequences. The body will work intensely and actively to remove antigen from the body.
Causes
Could there be an allergy to walnuts in a child? 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, for walnuts, hazelnuts, peanuts, the disease has a complex nature and often remains for life.
The main cause of walnut allergies is considered a violation in the protective system. The individual intolerance of the components present in the composition and heredity are important. Protein can provoke an allergy to walnuts, 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 test this, an allergy test is required. This will protect the child from unpleasant consequences when introducing the product into the diet. An allergy to a walnut occurs when the body is oversaturated with certain components that are in the nut.
Cross allergy
If the patient has intolerance to the protein of walnuts, then a cross allergy to plant products with a similar amino acid set is likely. A negative reaction may occur on:
- Beans
- plums
- apricots
- grapes;
- peaches;
- flowering hazel and birch;
- latex.
An allergy to walnuts in 37% of cases provokes a cross-reaction to other nuts. In this condition, a person may have redness of the eyes.
How is it manifested?
Symptoms of an allergy to walnuts in adults can occur singly or in a complex. Typically, the following systems suffer from an ailment:
- Epidermis. It is observed very often. When a nut is eaten, a rash, itching, red spots, and swelling occur.
- Breathing An allergic runny nose, nasal congestion, cough, usually at night, appear. Attacks of shortness of breath are still observed.
- Digestive The symptoms of walnut allergies include itching, dermatitis near the mouth, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, numbness of the tongue, diarrhea.
- Cardiovascular. Symptoms appear in severe illness. It can be a decrease in pressure, loss of consciousness.
Anaphylactic shock with walnut allergies is rare if there is no treatment. This condition is considered deadly, with it urgent help is needed. Symptoms may appear both immediately and after a few hours.
When can I eat and what to replace?
Symptoms of a walnut allergy in children are the same as in adults. In a child, an ailment appears due to 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 3-5 years old, the daily norm is the number of fruits that fits in their palm.
An allergy to a walnut in infants will not occur if it does not receive this product. It should be introduced gradually, observing the reaction of the baby.
Is there an allergy to walnuts in adults? 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 on sprouted wheat. Coarse flour also has trace elements and vitamins of a similar composition. Substitution of vegetable protein are legumes.
How does this affect breast milk?
In children under 2 years old, the product can cause a malfunction of the digestive system and lead to allergies. Therefore, the product can not be eaten by nursing mothers. The components located in the nucleus penetrate through the milk into the body of the child. If the baby is prone to allergies to nuts, then the symptoms will appear very quickly.
Diagnostics
The presence of a walnut allergy in adults and children is determined by their complaints. Diagnostics is performed using:
- General blood test. Performed to determine the level of eosinophils.
- Radio allergy test.
- Establishing the level of immunoglobulin E.
- Enzyme immunoassay.
The most reliable way are considered provocative texts. There is a list of other activities, but for a person they can be unsafe. They are performed in laboratories under the supervision of specialists. When a component that leads to a reaction is identified, treatment is prescribed.
Danger
If walnuts cause allergies, then you need to exclude them from the diet. Do not use even a small amount of the product. Even a tiny grain can cause anaphylactic shock and death. Nuts are the leading product that causes shock.
Regular eating, to which the body reacts negatively, can cause enterocolitis, gastritis, pancreatitis. It is necessary not only to exclude pure nuts, but also to prevent the use of sweets, sauces, peanut butter. The product is used in the food industry, so it can be part of confectionery, chocolate.
First aid
Not always a person knows the exact composition of the products that he eats. Often an allergen enters the body by accident. In this case, can a walnut cause allergies? This condition is possible. In this case, it is required:
- Eliminate 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 assistance can be provided urgently.
Treatment
Whatever symptoms appear on walnuts in adults and children, effective therapy is needed. The treatment is to get rid of the allergen. It is forbidden to eat not only pure nuts, but also various dishes where it may be contained. Usually the product is added to:
- syrups;
- peanut butter;
- liquors;
- Asian dishes
- cosmetics.
Sometimes nuts can not be eaten with some ailments, for example, 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.
Walnut allergy treatment in a child or adult is performed:
- Systemic glucocorticosteroids.
- Epinafrinum.
- Antihistamines.
An allergic reaction to walnuts is more often detected in children. The main reason is considered 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. Medications 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 ailment is laid at the genetic level. Only the children's 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:
- Compliance with a diet that excludes nuts in any form. This is important for nursing mothers.
- Lead an active life.
- 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. It is impossible to control the composition of many products from the store. But if there are walnuts in the dishes, you should always have medications on hand to muffle allergies at the initial stage.
Folk remedies
In alternative medicine, there are many recipes that allow you to relieve allergies, but they do not give the desired result. Therefore, such funds cannot be used as an independent treatment. And when the symptoms of the disease are mild, you can apply herbal decoctions. They treat diseased skin, make baths and drink.
In the presence of hay fever, it is not worth treating with herbs. Traditional medicine helps only with skin ailments. If there are no contraindications to the use of unconventional methods, chamomile, succession, St. John's wort and calendula are used. The best recipes are:
- Kalina (2 tbsp. L) 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 in ½ cup every day.
- Chamomile (1 tbsp. L) must be filled with boiling water (300 ml). The mixture is boiled for 15 minutes, cooled. The tool is infused for 1 hour. Painful areas are wiped 5-6 times a day.
- In the pharmacy you can buy calendula infusion. In it, cotton wool is moistened and the skin is treated with a rash. Procedures are performed 5 times a day.
Herbs from allergies have a local effect, can quickly relieve symptoms. Since they are considered powerful allergens, eliminating the risk of intolerance to the components of the funds is required.
Prevention
In order to prevent severe manifestations of allergies, it is necessary to consult a doctor in a timely manner. If this is done on time, it will stop the negative reaction. You must follow all the advice of a doctor and a few rules:
- There are no dishes that are made from substances unfamiliar to humans.
- Relatives should take into account that the patient has a negative reaction to nuts.
- You should always carry antihistamines with you.
What other nuts cause allergies?
If there is a violation in the immune system, the body recognizes nuts as a threat. Certain antibodies are released that trigger a negative reaction. This process manifests itself with any nuts. Allergies arise from:
- Hazelnuts. Hazelnuts most often lead to allergies. This is due to the content of highly allergenic proteins. Therefore, many manufacturers inform the buyer of the likely presence of their tracks.
- Pine nuts, almonds. The reason for the appearance of negative reactions to these products is not fully understood. But it is believed that symptoms occur due to a malfunction in the immune system.
- Pistachios. The product is a powerful allergen that causes complex allergic reactions. They also lead to a cross-reaction with the pollen of some trees, so they can not be consumed during their flowering.
- Peanuts. Allergies are more common in children than in adults. The reason for the negative reaction are proteins that have a high allergenic activity: albumin, vicilin, legumin.
- Brazil nuts, cashew nuts. These products lead to allergies due to the presence of vicilin-like globulins and profilins.
Thus, an allergy to walnuts is common. But with a careful approach to your health, you can prevent the symptoms of its manifestation.