Cashew allergies can cause mild to severe reactions, including anaphylaxis. Symptoms include swelling, difficulty breathing, and skin hives. Avoiding cashews and using antihistamines can help control allergies, while immunologists can diagnose and treat them. Anaphylaxis requires immediate medical attention and treatment with adrenaline.
A cashew allergy can be a mild to severe reaction that occurs shortly after ingesting any amount of nuts. It is one of the least common food allergies, and many people with the problem also experience adverse reactions to tree nuts, such as pistachios and walnuts. During an allergic reaction, a person may experience swelling of the throat and tongue, difficulty breathing, chest tightness, and skin hives. Rarely, a cashew allergy can be severe enough to induce anaphylaxis, a whole-body reaction that can become life-threatening without immediate treatment. Most people can control their allergies by avoiding foods containing cashews and using over-the-counter antihistamines in case of accidental ingestion.
Allergies are caused by unusual immune system responses to certain foods, pollen, chemicals, or other normally harmless substances. In the case of a cashew allergy, the immune system mistakes the nut as a threat and releases an antibody called immunoglobulin E (IgE) to fight it off. The IgE antibodies then induce inflammation in the mouth, throat, gastrointestinal tract, or skin. Specialized cells called mast cells found throughout the body respond in turn by releasing more inflammatory chemicals. Some people who have cashew allergies experience the first reactions in early childhood and, for reasons not fully understood by doctors, outgrow the problem in adulthood.
An individual with a cashew allergy can develop a variety of symptoms within the first two hours of ingestion. Signs of an allergic reaction may include itching, hives, wheezing, hoarseness, and a tightness in the chest and throat. A moderate to severe cashew allergy can cause swelling of the lips, tongue, and throat that make breathing and speaking difficult. If the intestines are involved, a person might experience diarrhea, stomach pain, and vomiting. Anaphylaxis can completely block the airways and cause a dangerous drop in blood pressure.
An immunologist can diagnose a cashew allergy and identify other harmful foods with blood and skin prick tests. If the allergies are limited to a few foods, the doctor may simply advise the patient to avoid them. Over-the-counter medications are usually sufficient to combat the symptoms of minor reactions. Regular allergy shots might be a good idea for people who are allergic to different foods and other substances to prevent frequent attacks.
Anaphylaxis is an emergency situation that requires immediate medical attention. A patient is treated in the emergency room with an injection of adrenaline, a chemical that immediately stops the immune system’s attack on the body. After hospital treatment, patients who are at risk of future anaphylactic reactions are usually given syringes of adrenaline to keep on hand in case of a future attack.
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