Almond Allergy – What you need to know.

Nuts are among the top allergen-containing food. And though almonds basically belong to the Rosacea family; apples, peaches, and apricots belong to the same family; the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifies them as tree nuts.

Almond allergy is uncommon; despite the fact that almonds are considered by the Food and Drug Administration as among the top 8 allergy-inducing food. According to recent statistics, there are only about 0.2 to 0.5 percent of individuals from both the United States and the United Kingdom suffering from almond allergy.

Almond allergy may not be frequently seen, however, peanut allergy is. The problem with individuals having peanut allergy is that they are more likely to have coexisting tree nuts allergies, and it could include almond allergy. In fact, about one third of individuals who suffer from peanut allergy also have tree nuts allergy. And individuals who are suffering from peanut allergies are slowly growing in number.

In the United States, almond allergy often manifests itself in early childhood. There are certain areas, however, where symptoms appear in adulthood due to sensitization of almond proteins which are resistant to heat. Symptoms of almond allergy usually occur on the second exposure to almonds. This happens because the body’s immune system mistakenly identifies the protein in the almonds as harmful.

Almond Allergy Symptoms

People who suffer from almond allergy are initially seen with hives; however, it can be manifested by different symptoms. Symptoms of almond allergy may be mild and localized. It can be manifested as oral symptoms including itching and swelling of the mouth and tongue upon ingestion of almonds. Or it could be severe and systemic. Anaphylactic shock, inflammation of the throat, difficulty in breathing, and asthma are some of the fatal symptoms of almond allergy. In fact, almond allergy, if left unattended, might even cause death.

The severity of the almond allergy is often determined by the amount of almonds ingested. It could also be defined by the kind of protein in the almond the patient is allergic to. Almond allergy can be diagnosed by a number of methods. However, skin testing is the most commonly used method of diagnosis as it is accurate, easily done and cost-effective. Skin testing is done by introducing small amounts of allergens or allergen extracts to the skin by means of pricking. The site of injection is marked and is observed to see if the allergens will cause a reaction.

Blood testing and challenge testing are other diagnostic tests. In challenge testing, the individual is asked to ingest a small amount of suspected allergenic food while being closely monitored for allergic reactions.

Almond Allergy Treatments

Treatments of almond allergy are often focused on alleviating the symptoms. If the symptoms are mild, they can be managed at home with over-the-counter drugs. For severe symptoms, however, hospitalizations may be required.

Unfortunately, there is no known cure for almond allergy. There are medical articles and individuals who claim that almond tolerance can be developed if almonds are avoided for long periods of time; however, these claims are scientifically unfounded. The best cure for almond allergy still remains to be total avoidance.

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