Intolerance or allergy?

[PegNosePete]

I have a reaction to nuts. All except almonds. Don't ask me why almonds are safe for me, but they are. All other nuts give me a reaction including peanuts which are the worst of all.

 

Within a few seconds of eating nuts my throat feels really itchy. It's a very unpleasant feeling and I have to drink a lot of water to soothe it. Even then a small amount of nuts left in my teeth will set it off again. It doesn't get any worse than this, it is just an annoyance rather than life-threatening (so far!). It is bad enough that I check foods carefully, but not so bad that I avoid "may contain traces of nuts" which seems to be 99% of foods these days.

 

I have a friend who insists that it is not an allergy but an intolerance, because it is not a severe reaction. My understanding is that an intolerance normally comes on after hours rather than minutes or seconds, is normally in the digestive system rather than mouth/throat, and that the severity of an intolerance depends on the amount eaten whereas an allergy is equally severe no matter how much/little you eat.

 

So I am inclined to think that I have a mild allergy rather than an intolerance. Any ideas?

[D78]

I'm not a doctor, but I have suffered from strange food allergies for about 8 years now (corn, oranges, and tomatoes - my 3 favorite foods).

 

A food allergy is an immune system response where your body identifies a food as harmful (usually the protein) and releases histamine. Food allergy symptoms vary, depending on where the histamine comes from.

 

My symptoms were hives and severe stomach pain, which lasted for about 6 months until we figured out what was going on. On a 1-5 scale, my food allergies are all 3s, so I won't die if I eat foods with corn, oranges, or tomatoes. I wouldn't call my reaction severe, unless I continue to eat the food for several days.

 

A food intolerance is a digestive system response where your body cannot digest a certain food because it lacks the necessary enzymes.

 

The symptoms for both are similar, except the swelling of the airways to the lungs and shortness of breath are symptoms of food allergies, not intolerance.

 

You're correct about the amount of food eaten - even a small amount of food can cause an allergic reaction, where it would not cause any symptoms in a person with an intolerance.

 

If you want to pay a ton of money (or if your health insurance covers it) you can get a blood test to determine exactly what you are allergic to and how severe your allergy is.

 

Good luck!

[whichwayisup]

I have a reaction to nuts. All except almonds. Don't ask me why almonds are safe for me, but they are. All other nuts give me a reaction including peanuts which are the worst of all.

 

Within a few seconds of eating nuts my throat feels really itchy. It's a very unpleasant feeling and I have to drink a lot of water to soothe it. Even then a small amount of nuts left in my teeth will set it off again. It doesn't get any worse than this, it is just an annoyance rather than life-threatening (so far!). It is bad enough that I check foods carefully, but not so bad that I avoid "may contain traces of nuts" which seems to be 99% of foods these days.

 

I have a friend who insists that it is not an allergy but an intolerance, because it is not a severe reaction. My understanding is that an intolerance normally comes on after hours rather than minutes or seconds, is normally in the digestive system rather than mouth/throat, and that the severity of an intolerance depends on the amount eaten whereas an allergy is equally severe no matter how much/little you eat.

 

So I am inclined to think that I have a mild allergy rather than an intolerance. Any ideas?

 

I think you should go to your Dr and get an allergy test done. This allergy could get worse as you get older. A friend of my mom's now has a severe allergy of nuts, if she smells peanutbutter, she gets ill and has to have a shot.

[PegNosePete]

Thanks guys. Yeah I might see the doctor but it does seem a little over the top. My reaction is about a 1 on the 1-5 scale, it's uncomfortable like an itch I can't scratch but nothing worse. No digestive system problems or other symptoms, it's just an itchy throat.

[micaljack1987]

If you think an allergy or food intolerance, so it is important to obtain a correct diagnosis. Do not cut food groups from your diet without consulting a doctor because you may lose important nutrients. Some food allergens are products of nuts, fish, milk, eggs and soy. Anaphylaxis or anaphylactic shock is an extreme allergic reaction and can be fatal. Allergies are generally inherited, such as rashes, asthma or hay fever works with your family if you have allergies.

[Star Gazer]

I have the same reaction to melon of all types, but I eat it anyway because I love it so much. I'd call it an allergy, just not as severe as my allergies to bees, shellfish or penicillins.

[PegNosePete]

Do not cut food groups from your diet without consulting a doctor because you may lose important nutrients.

I think I'll survive quite easily, without eating nuts. It's not like I'm cutting out all vitamin C, or all protein, or water.