This document discusses peanut allergies including symptoms, diagnosis, causes, epidemiology, treatment, uncommon foods that may contain peanuts, and prognosis. Symptoms of peanut allergies include itchy skin, shortness of breath, nausea, and diarrhea. Diagnosis involves consulting an allergist who can properly diagnose the allergy. Peanut allergies are caused by an immune system overreaction to peanut proteins. While there is no permanent cure, avoiding peanuts and carrying an epinephrine pen can help reduce allergic reactions.

1. Peanut
Allergies
By: Ato

2. Symptoms of peanut allergies
• Itchy skin
• Shortness of breath
• Congested nose
• Nausea
• Stomach cramps
• Diarrhea
• Drop in blood pressure
• Feeling lightheaded

3. Diagnosis
• If you suspect you have a peanut allergy you can contact your allergist who
will diagnose you correctly.
• If you do not know of an allergist you can use the physician directory to
find someone who can diagnose you. This directory will find someone in
your area and is maintained by the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma
& Immunology.
• http://aaaai.execinc.com/edibo/FindAnAllergist
• Although you may be able to self-diagnose it is always best to consult a
professional because you may incorrectly diagnose yourself and confuse
your symptoms with another allergy that has similar symptoms. This may
lead to an unhealthy diet and may have a negative long term impact.

4. Causes of peanut allergies
• This allergy is caused by an overreaction by the immune system to the
proteins in the food. The immune system recognizes it as foreign and
when it attacks it, it results in an allergic reaction.
• This allergic reaction can cause the release of inflammatory
chemicals, for example Histamine. It is these chemicals that result in
the symptoms of this disorder.
• Coughing, itchy skin etc.

5. Epidemiology
• Only some people have peanut allergies because everyone
has a deferent immune system.
• If your family has a history of having peanut allergies than
there is a greeter chance you having it
• Nearly 20% of peanut allergies can be outgrown.
• Because some people can outgrow this allergy, it is more
prevalent among children than adults.

6. Treatment
• As of right now, a permanent cure for peanut allergies does not exist.
• You may be prescribed antihistamines to stop a mild allergic reaction
• Also you may want to carry around an epinephrine pen. This will help
you if you have an anaphylaxis (A severe allergic reaction).
• In addition you should look for these phrases on labels, to help
identify which foods contain nuts. "may contain nuts’’ "produced on
shared equipment with nuts or peanuts" "produced in a facility that
also processes nuts"
• Furthermore, you should notify your relatives, family members, and
school they can help you if a serious reaction occurs.

7. Uncommon Foods that may contain
peanuts
• Some manufactures use different ingredients when creating products,
so it is vital that you always read the label to see if it contains
peanuts.
• Some examples are
• Nougat
• Salad dressings
• Ice cream
• Energy bars
• When in doubt say no if you are offered food and you not sure if it
contains peanuts.

8. Prognosis
• Although having peanut allergies can be life threating, if you take the
necessary precautions then it will greatly reduce your chances of
having an allergic reaction.

9. Philosophy of composition
• I used an easy to read font so that the reader will not struggle to read
what is on the presentation.
• I used a brown background because this is the color of peanuts.
• I did not include any visuals in my presentation because I believe that
the text is very self explanatory, thus visuals are unnecessary and will
only detract from the final presentation.
• I used transitions when the information on the next slide was very
important, thus it will attract the readers attention to information
being presented.

10. Bibliography
• "Nut and Peanut Allergy." KidsHealth. Ed. Magee L. DeFelice. The Nemours
Foundation, 01 Oct. 2011. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
<http://kidshealth.org/teen/food_fitness/nutrition/nut_allergy.html>.
• Kerr, Michael. "Peanut Allergies." Causes and Treatment of. Healthline, 4
May 2012. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.healthline.com/health/allergies/peanut>.
• "Peanut Allergy." Definition. Mayo Clinc, n.d. Web. 19 Mar. 2014.
<http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peanut-
allergy/basics/definition/con-20027898>.