Monday, August 07, 2006

Late-onset hazelnut allergy?

I enjoy hazelnuts, specifically Nutella or any kind of candy or chocolate or ice cream with hazelnuts. I've eaten plenty of hazelnuts in my day. So imagine my surprise when I busted out in an allergy attack tonight after eating a few raw hazelnuts. Itchy throat made simultaneously worse and better by eating a scratchy BLT+PB. (Thanks to my mom I can never eat a BLT without the added slathering of peanut butter -- SOOOOoooooo gooood.) I know when the itchy throat/itchy mouth symptoms start you better take the benadryl right away. A dose and a half. So I did and the benadryl is working but I'm having a hard time believing the hazelnuts did it. I guess to be safe I can cut out the raw nuts and just stick to the Nutella. I can't see that really being a problem for me...

5 comments:

  1. Allergies suck! I didn't know until I was 30 years old that I was allergic to all nuts and peanuts and tons of fruits and vegetables. I guess I just thought the itchy/tingly feeling was a bonus, previously.

    I agree to cut out raw nuts. Nutella is better anyway.

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  2. oh I hope this is not 2 years too late! you have oral allergy syndrome (OAS) and are probably allergic to a pollen most likely birch pollen. If you treat the birch allergy the OAS will get better or go away. the hazelnuts contain a number of allergens - the one that cross reacts to birch is destroyed by roasting - roast at 140 degrees C for at least 40 minutes.
    http://www.docguide.com/news/content.nsf/news/8525697700573E1885256CE400335658

    investigators led by Dr. K.S. Hansen of National University Hospital in Copenhagen, Denmark. "For patients with a history of severe allergic symptoms on ingestion of hazelnuts, thorough and conscientious food labelling of hazelnuts and hazelnut residues is essential."

    Hazelnut allergy is a common example of birch pollen-related food allergy, the researchers explain. Symptoms are usually confined to the mouth and throat but some patients have severe systemic reactions.

    Reduction in allergenicity from roasting hazelnuts was evaluated through double-blind, placebo-controlled food challenges as well as skin prick tests, histamine release, specific immunoglobin E (IgE) and IgE-inhibition in the 17 patients. Nuts used in the food challenges had been roasted at 140 degrees Celsius for 40 minutes.

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  3. That goes double for your friend mrs relllim sounds like she is birch allergic as well.

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  4. Anonymous8:36 PM

    Allergies do suck. My 6 year old son just tested positive for a hazel nut allergy. He eats Nutella almost every single morning for b'fest. Doctor didn't tell me to stop feeding it to him - only that the skin prick test isn't always accurate. But now as a responsible parent am confused if I should still be feeding this to him or not.

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  5. Anonymous6:24 PM

    Hey I would stop feed it to him i have a allergy to all hazelnuts, nutella included i could ate it once as a kid and every time i have it the reaction is a little bit worst, best lay off it for

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