Signs & Symptoms of a Peanut Food Allergy

An allergic reaction to peanuts often occurs within minutes of exposure. According to a June 1997 article in "Clinical and Experimental Allergy" by J. O. Hourihane et al, peanut allergy is characterized by high rates of symptoms on minimal contact, and by more severe symptoms than other food allergies.

Typical Signs and Symptoms

• The external signs and symptoms of a peanut allergy are similar to those of many other food allergies. They include mild to severe hives, skin redness and/or swelling. A variety of internal signs and symptoms are often more severe. These range from an itching or tingling in or around the mouth and throat and swelling of the throat or tongue, to nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Stomach cramping, tightening in the chest, a change in voice, shortness of breath and wheezing, or feeling lightheaded or faint may also occur.

Signs and Symptoms in a Child's First Reaction

• The first allergic reaction to peanuts develops in most children between 14 and 24 months of age.

  According to the May 2003 article in the Canadian Medical Association's "CMAJ/JAMC," the first allergic reaction to peanuts develops in most children between 14 and 24 months of age. For this first reaction, the signs and symptoms appeared on the skin in 89 percent of the children, and 42 percent of these children also exhibited respiratory symptoms such as wheezing, coughing and nasal congestion. Only 26 percent of the children exhibiting their first allergic reaction showed any gastrointestinal symptoms such as vomiting or diarrhea, and only 4 percent exhibited cardiovascular reactions such as cardiac arrest.

Anaphylaxis

• Peanut allergy is the most common cause of anaphylaxis, which is a severe life-threatening reaction that constitutes a medical emergency. Common initial signs and symptoms include a sense of impending doom, a metallic taste in the mouth and generalized warmth or flush characterized by tingling of the skin, especially on the palms of the hands, soles of the feet, lips and/or genital area. Other signs of an anaphylactic reaction are rapid pulse, pronounced constriction of the airways making breathing difficult, shock and severe drop in blood pressure, dizziness and possible loss of consciousness.

  These symptoms may begin within minutes to two hours after exposure. Reactions can get worse over a period of several hours. In some cases, the symptoms may lessen or disappear, only to return within a few hours. These second phase symptoms may be more severe. A. Wesley Burks, MD in his May 2008 article in "Lancet," stresses that not only is immediate treatment imperative in anaphylactic reactions, but patients who have had such a reaction should be kept under observation for up to four hours because of the possibility of a subsequent late-phase allergic reaction.