Peanut allergies continue to be ‘extremely common’

Merced resident Alice Brewer first learned about the severity of peanut allergies about five years ago when her great-granddaughter’s throat began to swell up and her eyes water during a camping trip at Lake McClure.

“It was instantly, and very scary,” Brewer said.

Her great-granddaughter, now 9 years old, won’t eat anything until she reads the label. She’s also wary of coming in close contact with anyone who has had peanuts, she said.

But Brewer’s great-granddaughter’s reaction to peanuts is not rare. Peanut allergies, according to school nurses and allergists, are becoming an increasing concern.

Dr. Praveen Buddiga, an allergy and asthma specialist at Baz Allergy, Asthma & Sinus Center in Merced and Fresno, said about half of his patients are children, and peanut allergies are “extremely common.”

The rate of childhood peanut allergies in the United States more than tripled from 1997 to 2008, according to a 2010 study from the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York.

The reason behind the increase is unknown, but there are many theories. One of the theories, according to the study, is that living with less exposure to farming and using medication to quickly treat infections leaves immune systems in a condition that is “more prone to attack harmless proteins, such as those in foods.”

But in the San Joaquin Valley, a large farming region, the number of patients with food allergies is growing in the same pattern as other regions, Buddiga said.

“Perhaps there is something in the environment that is making the allergen more potent,” he said.

There is also the factor of roasting peanuts, which most companies do to bring out the flavor, Buddiga said, but it also makes the protein more allergic. “It’s like a Catch-22,” he said.

Peanut allergies tend to be lifelong. He estimates only about 20 percent of his patients outgrow their allergies.

Terry Kirby, a school nurse with the Merced County Office of Education, said that in her 39-year career as a nurse, she has seen food allergies take off. Every classroom is now required to have epinephrine injections, or EpiPens, readily available.

“We also have lots of meal accommodation for (peanut) allergies,” she said. While basic foods such as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are still an option for some students, staff members are aware of which children cannot have it, Kirby explained.

Kirby and Buddiga said the only solution to peanut allergies is complete avoidance.

With Halloween coming up, a night in which many children celebrate by collecting candy door-to-door, officials urge parents and caregivers to be extra careful with what they allow their children to collect and eat, especially if they have a history with allergies.

“It’s a nightmare for parents who have to read labels like crazy,” Kirby said. “But we have to do what is safe for the child.”

Buddiga recommends that people allergic to peanuts avoid all type of nuts because they are usually manufactured by the same company, increasing the risk of cross-contamination.

Cookies and ice cream with toppings should also be closely examined. Buddiga reminds parents that there are no food desensitization protocols in place. Medication is still in research trial and even if promising, FDA approval would take another four to five years, Buddiga said.

Parents with questions are advised to contact their child’s doctor or an allergist.

This story was originally published October 17, 2015 at 8:47 PM with the headline "Peanut allergies continue to be ‘extremely common’."