For Abu Dhabi resident Sajitha Hyder, she always knew that her son, Daniyal, had several allergies from when he was a baby. But it was only last week, when he was 11 years old, that he unknowingly ingested peanuts for the first time and went into an anaphylactic shock.
“We had ordered chilli chicken from a new Chinese restaurant and ate it for lunch,” she said. “My son ate it and he was totally fine. He attended an online class and then went out to play. He came back a little later and said that his asthma was acting up. He took his inhaler but I could see that he was turning red in the face.”
Luckily for Sajitha, her sister arrived almost immediately as Daniyal was experiencing difficulties. “She has two children who have severe allergy issues and she insisted that we immediately take him to the hospital,” she said. “On the way to the ER, my brother-in-law felt like my son was not able to breathe and immediately administered the EpiPen.”
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An EpiPen is a measured dose of epinephrine, a medication that can help decrease your body’s allergic reaction. It is administered in the form of an injection.
When the family arrived at the hospital, Daniyal’s condition had deteriorated rapidly. “The hospital staff said that if we had not given him the EpiPen, he may not have survived the incident,” she said. “It was a very scary incident. As Daniyal had outgrown many of his allergies, including that of gluten and milk, we had relaxed a bit and were not as careful as we should have been. The incident was an eye-opener for us.”
Daniyal is one of the hundreds of people who have an almost fatal allergy to nuts and other food items. Last week, Love Island star Jack Fowler said he had a severe nut allergy reaction leaving him unable to breathe after eating a curry with cashews on an Emirates flight.
Extremely careful
According to experts, it is important for those with nut allergies to have a comprehensive approach to minimise exposure and ensure safety.
Peanuts, which are actually legumes and not nuts, are one of the eight food or food groups which should be disclosed in labels as they could cause allergic reactions. They could cause severe allergic reactions, such as anaphylaxis, which “can be life-threatening” according to Dr. Sabah Omer Elkhalifa, a family medicine specialist at Burjeel Day Surgery Centre in Al Dhahir.
“People with deadly nut allergies can manage their condition by recognising nut allergy symptoms and taking prompt action if they develop,” she said. “They should take antihistamines to address mild symptoms such as itching or swelling if they arise and carry an epinephrine injector if they have a severe allergy to treat anaphylaxis immediately.”
Challenges
According to Sajitha, eating out can be often be a challenge, especially because of lack of knowledge in some institutions.
“Once we went to a restaurant where the waiter insisted that a dessert was completely nut-free but upon checking, I found Nutella in it,” she said. “When I questioned him about it, he didn’t know that the spread was made from hazelnut. At another restaurant we went to, the chef insisted on personally cooking and serving a dish to us to ensure that it was allergen-free. So it is quite a hit-and-miss when it comes to eating out.”
In most cases, it is better for those with fatal allergies to do their due diligence when eating outside, says an expert. “They need to check food labels and ask detailed questions about ingredients and food preparation methods when eating out,” said Neeta Jhaveri, functional medicine practitioner and health coach at Wellth. “They should also prepare meals at home using fresh, uncontaminated ingredients. They must use separate utensils, cutting boards, and appliances for foods with and without nut to ensure safety.”
According to Neeta, there are several other challenges including financial implications, feeling left out in social settings, nutritional concerns and school and workplace difficulties due to nut allergies. “Managing severe nut allergies primarily relies on strict avoidance of allergens and preparedness for accidental exposures,” she said. “This can be quite challenging for families but it is important to never let their guard down as this could prove fatal.”