DR Zoe Williams, our resident specialist and NHS GP, shares her expert advice with our readers,
Here she reveals how you can predict which children will outgrow nut allergies.
Q: IS it possible for my child to grow out of their nut allergy?
A: There is evidence that suggests some children can.
Some recent research from Australia suggests changes in antibodies can predict which children will outgrow nut allergies.
If it’s severe, then it’s important to strictly avoid them, but a specialist will be able to advise on doing a nut challenge at an appropriate time to see if your child has grown out of their allergy.
This would take place in a hospital under the supervision of a medical team who can intervene if an allergic reaction occurs.
The test usually takes several hours as it starts with a tiny amount of the food being tested and then there is a wait period before gradually larger amounts are tried out.
Allergy UK is a good resource for further information and can provide practical help with things like allergy cards for travel.
E-mail Dr Zoe: Health@thesun.co.uk
WHAT ARE THE MOST COMMON FOOD ALLERGIES?
APPROXIMATELY 44 per cent of people in Britain have an allergy or allergic disorder of some kind, says the charity Allergy UK.
Rates are higher in under-35s and lowest in pensioners.
The most common food allergies, according to the NHS, are:
- Cow milk
- Eggs
- Peanuts
- Nuts, such as walnuts, almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, cashews, pistachios and Brazil nuts
- Soy beans, chickpeas and peas
- Shellfish
- Wheat
You may be allergic to a food if it makes you feel dizzy, lightheaded, sick or itchy, brings you out in hives or swollen lips or eyes, or causes diarrhoea, vomiting, a runny nose, cough, breathlessness or wheezing.
