Peanut Allergies

Peanut Allergies
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Approximately 4% of children and 4% of adults have food allergies. Peanut allergies are among the allergies suffered by this population. A peanut allergy refers to a reaction where the human body mistakenly categorizes peanuts as harmful substances. When one eats peanuts or anything containing peanuts, his/her immune system overreacts, which causes a serious and sometimes life-threatening response. The path of peanuts from a being just snacks, to becoming banned in schools offers great insights as to why and how a rare and life-threatening allergy can prompt great societal change. Before 1980, such allergies were rarely talked about in medical literature but during the 1990s, medical journal articles started analyzing the seriousness of these allergies. This paper will argue about the causes and solutions of peanut allergies and discuss various societal changes brought about by them.
Peanut allergies can be caused by direct or indirect contact with this snack, to a person’s immune system. It is the reason why such allergies emerged. In fact, one study associated family history, exposure to soy protein and occurrence of eczema type rashes with development of peanut allergies, but researchers still do not know why one person ends up with such an allergy and the other does not. However, it seems that both environmental and genetic factors are involved. This owes to the reality that various researchers developed the hypothesis that if a pregnant woman or infant consumes peanuts, there are high chances that the child will get the allergy. However, the more recent data refutes this theory. Moreover, the infants who consumed large quantities of peanuts during their first year of life versus those who avoided peanuts seemed to reduce, not enhance the risk of allergy. Therefore, although the causes of peanut allergies are unknown to researchers, one can conclude that there is no convincing evidence suggesting that women who do not consume peanuts during pregnancy or breast-feeding lower risk of allergies in their children.
Research for finding the cure of these allergies is ongoing, however, comprehending the best ways of managing peanut allergies are also crucial. Various therapeutic strategies to eliminate or minimize this allergy are being studied. Among them are oral immunotherapy, anti-IgE therapy, Chinese herbal medicine and vaccine strategies, which utilize components from peanut proteins. One Chinese herbal formula, referred to as "Food Allergy Herbal Formula", which is being tested is one that shows promise. When used in mice, it prevented allergic reactions for 6 months after treatment. Currently, it is being tested by FDA as a botanical drug for patients with peanut and food allergy. The other therapy showing success is the anti-IgE (Immunoglobulin E) therapy. Research shows that anti-immunoglobulin E proteins administered to a person through an injection bind Immunoglobulin E in the person’s blood thus preventing the binding to and even activation of immune cells, therefore, calming down the immune reaction. However, efficacy and dosing issues with this strategy remain to be resolved.
Finally, the most promising strategy is the oral immunotherapy using the pean...