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If you don't have a child you might not be aware of the current peanut allergy craze. I have 2 children under 6 that have both gone to preschool so I was exposed to this pretty recently. A peanut allergy can be a life-threatening reaction to anything with peanuts. Our preschool has a special area in the lunch room for children with this allergy. They have a list of children's allergies hanging in the classrooms as well. We recently applied for a summer camp program for our daughter and to our surprise found that the camp expressly prohibited any child from bringing peanut butter on the campus.

Why the Seeming Paranoia?

Sadly I found out that a child had actually died from a severe allergic reaction to peanut butter. An allergic reaction to peanuts can be mild. The symptoms can include runny nose, watery eyes, and hives. That is not that scary but there are a few of us that can have a severe reaction called anaphylaxis that can produce anaphylactic shock. The symptoms of anaphylactic shock include things like swelling, increased heartbeat and difficulty breathing. The administrator of the summer camp emphasized how dangerous this reaction can be. Anyone responsible for a child whether it be a parent, teacher or other child care worker does not want to take the risk that this will be the one time where a child can die in their care.

Can a Peanut Allergy be Identified?

Peanut allergies affect more than three million people in the US alone. The simple identification is noting a person's reaction after eating something that contained some form of peanuts. It can also be identified through an allergist through blood or skin tests. If you suffer from a peanut allergy your children may get it too. Peanut allergies have been found to be often inherited. The safe bet there is to definitely have you child tested. Please note that a peanut allergy may begin as a peanut intolerance. This is more of a digestive reaction that does not involve the immune system.

Though some children will outgrow a peanut allergy most won't. So how do your treat this? The easy answer is avoidance but that can be tricky since peanuts are used in food where you might not easily identify it.

Hidden Dangers are Everywhere

While peanuts and peanut butter are obvious choices for products to avoid here is a list of places where you may find peanuts as an ingredient:

* peanut oil
* salad dressings
* oriental food
* candy
* baked goods

Peanut oil is used in restaurants for cooking and can cause the same reaction as eating the actual peanut. Oriental restaurants including asian, thai and indian are known to use peanuts in some of their recipes as well. When you visit a restaurant you may want to ask about nut allergy recipes that cater to those with a peanut allergy as well as to any other nut allergy. Salad dressings, candy, cookies and cakes can also use peanuts and can also be produced in factories where the equipment has possibly been contaminated.

Living with a peanut allergy may be challenging but whether you are doing it for yourself, for your child or even for that child in your kid's day care program it can be a matter of life and death. Make sure you know the signs of a dangerous reaction and check that ingredient list carefully.