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9 points to look for to recognise a possible allergic reaction to nuts
- Tingling feeling in the lips or mouth
- Swelling in the throat, causing difficulty in swallowing or breathing
- Swelling where the nuts touch you
- Asthma symptoms
- Vomiting
- Cramping tummy pains
- Diarrhoea
- Faintness and unconsciousness
- Anaphylactic Shock due to extremely low blood pressure danger of resulting in death
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What to do in an emergency |
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 Here's a quick guide for reacting to an emergency
MILD REACTION: Generalised itching
Mild swelling of face / lips / eyes
Feeling unwell
- Give antihistamine immediately (e.g. Piriton Syrup)
- Monitor the patients condition until they have returned to normal.
- If symptoms worsen, see below.
SEVERE REACTION: Difficulty breathing / choking / coughing
Severe swelling of face / lips / eyes
Pale & floppy
Collapsed / unconscious - Have somebody dial 999 & tell the operator 'Anaphylactic Reaction',
- Lie the patient on the floor
- Take EPIPEN & remove grey cap
- Push the black tip of the Epipen firmly into the middle of the outside thigh
- Make sure a click is heard & hold in place for 10 seconds
- Give the used Epipen to the ambulance staff
How to use an Epipen (Online Video)   
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Living with an Allergy to Nuts |
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Here are a few precautions you could take: - Avoid contact with all nuts including peanuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashew nuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, walnuts and pecan nuts.
- Read labels carefully. Peanuts, especially, are in a lot of products.
- Check baked products and candy carefully. Many contain nuts of all varieties.
- Take care when eating soybeans, peas and garbanzo beans. They are from the same family as peanuts, and you may have a sensitivity to them as well.
- If you suspectthat you have had an allergic reaction to nuts, you should avoid them completely & get tested.
- Be careful when eating Indian, Chinese and Thai cuisine. Many dishes feature peanuts or are cooked in peanut oil.
- Avoid artificial or imitation nuts. They are usually made with peanuts.
- Do not attempt to reintroduce nuts into your diet if you have experienced a reaction. You must avoid them completely. Carry an EpiPen with you when traveling or eating out.
- Stay away from others who are eating or cooking with nuts.
- Avoid marzipan, chili and egg rolls unless you know for a fact that they do not contain peanuts. Peanut butter is sometimes used to thicken chili and to seal egg rolls.
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