People with Nut Allergies

People with nut allergies can be exquisitely sensitive. I remember one day when someone left an open bag of nuts on a desk and it made my nut-intolerant maths teacher's face swell up from all the way across the room. You'd be surprised.

I'm not good at biology so maybe I'm missing something obvious but how is that possible? What are they reacting to when it hasn't even touched them?


The people I know eat out in places that handle nuts within the kitchen so it has to be 'may contain traces' so surely they can't be that sensitive?

I think when it's something that can threaten someone's life the least you can do is not eat nuts around those who ask you not to.

I've had a few times with people with nut allergies when me/someone within the group has gone to eat nuts and they have asked them not to. I have an allergy so I don't think I'm unsympathetic but surely that's silly? If I eat a nut next to them there isn't some fumes going to go for them or little specks flying out my mouth into their's.

Am I missing something? It seems to me like schools etc are scared of something happening so they overreact and the people with nut allergies carry it on throughout there lives.

The more I listen to people talk about it the more I think my sense of risk about it is just different. I get that some people have more severe allergies than me and the smell thing does sound a particular pain in the arse. To me it's one more thing that can kill me in a world of many possible ways to accidentally die and from time to time I do have a reaction but it's just not that big a deal.

Also, I still suspect melodramatics but I'll skip the full stories

It also amused me how people immediately go to this idea that I'm suggesting I should just eat nuts in front of them. Like I said before, that's self evidently stupid but people going straight there is so common.

I can only assume since you said your attacks aren't a big deal that you've not experienced anaphylaxis? Which can be immediately life threatening. And nut allergies are more likely to be anaphylactic. It's also worth noting allergies can get more serious over time, someone who has not had an anaphylactic reaction to their allergen may one day get that reaction. They might not want to take that risk.

I had fully on anaphylaxis when I first ate egg but I don't actually remember it. I've experienced mouth swelling etc whilst older but nothing as severe because avoiding significant amounts isn't hard.

The rate of death from anaphylaxis is actually tiny, I just looked it up and NHS Choices says about 20 per year across the UK (and I'd bet a decent % of those are people who didn't know about their allergy). I'm not saying it's a fun experience but equally the odds of dropping dead on the spot aren't high, let alone dying at all

Right so you don't remember having it. For people who do remember it is incredibly scary.

Also that's a point to make "because avoiding significant amounts isn't hard" some people's allergies are so severe even the smallest amount will induce anaphylaxis. I don't understand why that is hard to understand? Not everyone's allergies are the same as yours.

And yes the death rate is low thankfully because of modern medicine and quick intervention times. But it doesn't make it any less scary when you airways are constricted and you physically can't breathe and you start to lost your vision from lack of oxygen, when you're in that position you fear you might die. So maybe cut your friends some slack.

I don't understand why you are so bothered and seem to be speaking to me like I'm stupid. I literally said I get that some people have more severe allergies than me

Maybe I'm just articulating my point badly but either way I don't see the point continuing to discus it with you.

It's certainly not my intention at all to talk to you like you're stupid. If you feel that way then I'm sorry but it wasn't intentional.

Then I don't understand why you made this thread in the first place? You asked a question and you just don't seem to like the answers you have gotten.

My objection to discussing it further is how your tone came across not the content, I don't do squabbling with people talking down to me and it sounded like you were going that way.

I hear what people are saying but I still really don't get it- my only explanation is the sense of risk. Some people do have very severe allergies but without being able to find stats I think it's logical to assume even most people who get anaphylaxis aren't on the extreme end of sensitivity. Either I've met a disproportionate amount on the extreme end or people are being melodramatic.

I can't even get myself to thinking of anaphylaxis as that life threatening given the death rate. I'm sure it's a very unpleasant experience but that's not quite the same thing. I imagine if I were to be stats there'd be lots of ways we are more likely to die that people spend a lot less time worrying about.

Then you get stuff like support groups for parents of kids with allergies. The fact that exists is just incomprehensible to me.