Peanut Allergies: Is There a Cure?Alergia a los cacahuates: ¿Existe una cura?
By: Keith
Doctors at Addenbrookes hospital in Cambridge seem to think they’ve hit upon a probably solution. 4% of British kids suffer from peanut allergies. The treatment the doctors think works involves gradually desensitizing peanut allergic schoolchildren via a yogurt and peanut flour mixture taken daily. To start 1 milligram of flour is mixed with a small amount of yogurt; then, based on reactions and over time, the ratio of flour to yogurt is increased. It’s a simple idea that could hold massive public health rewards and put the minds of thousands of mothers at ease. No more checking labels and being hyper alert at social gatherings.
So far the Doctors have had encouraging success. In the small group of kids who participated in the pilot trial, 21 out of 23 of them, aged seven to 17, were effectively desensitized. The doctors are embarking on the most recent and biggest trial to date of such a method and are confident that the results will give them a clear idea of the efficacy and safety of the treatment for the general population. That’s pretty big news. NOTE: The doctors are careful to remind parents that all trials are done in hospital and are not to be attempted at home. This story came from Guardian.co.uk and was originally submitted by Ian Sample, science correspondent, in San Diego.
Did you Know?
Peanuts are the number one leading cause of food based allergic reaction.
1/3 of peanut sensitive patients get severe reactions that can lead to death. Some cases can cause death in a matter of several minutes.
Airlines recommend that severe patients take morning flights because aircrafts get a thorough cleaning at the end of each day thereby minimizing risk. However, no airline guarantees a peanut free environment.
50% of patients react to as little as the equivalent of 1/50th of a peanut. In some cases a reaction can happen with 1/1000th of a peanut.
6-7 million Americans suffer from some sort of food allergy and 3 million have peanut allergies (1.1 percent of the population).
One study by Johns Hopkins University found that a full 50% of school aged kids outgrew their peanut allergy, but that some of the study participants’ allergies returned over time.
Los doctores del hospital Addenbrookes en Cambridge piensan que han encontrado una posible solución. 4% de los niños en la Gran Bretaña sufren de la alergia a los cacahuates. El tratamiento que los doctores piensan que funciona constituye en gradualmente desensibilizar la alergia a los cacahuates en los niños de edad escolar a través de una mezcla de yogurt y harina de cacahuate alimentada diariamente. Para empezar 1 miligramo de harina es mezclado con una pequeña cantidad de yogurt, entonces, basados en la reacción tras un periodo de tiempo, la porción de harina en el yogurt es aumentada. Es una idea simple que podría conseguir un gran beneficio en la salud pública, y daría paz a las miles de madres que ahora se preocupan. No tendrían que checar las etiquetas de todos los productos alimenticios ni tendrían que estar extra alertas en las actividades sociales.
Hasta la fecha los doctores han conseguido éxitos prometedores. En pequeños grupos de niños que participaron en la prueba piloto, 21 de los 23 que participaron, de entre 7 y 17 años de edad, fueron efectivamente desensibilizados. Los doctores ahora se encuentran en medio de una prueba mucho más grande de dicho método y tienen confianza en que los resultados les darán una clara idea de la eficacia y seguridad del tratamiento para poder aplicarlo al resto de la población en general. Estas son grandes noticias. NOTA: Los doctores tienen mucho cuidado en recordad a los padres que estas pruebas son hechas en el hospital y no deben ser tratadas en casa. Esta historia salió en Guardian.co.uk y fue originalmente escrito por Ian Sample, un corresponsal científico en San Diego.
¿Sabías qué?
Los cacahuates la causa número uno de todas las reacciones alérgicas a alimentos.
1/3 de los pacientes alérgicos a los cacahuates reciben varias reacciones que pueden ser mortales. En algunos casos pueden causar muerte en cuestión de minutos.
Las aerolíneas recomiendan que pacientes con alergias severas tomen los primeros vuelos de la mañana porque las naves reciben una limpieza completa al final de cada día, minimizando de esta manera cualquier riesgo. Sin embargo, ninguna aerolínea garantiza un ambiente libre de cacahuates.
50% de los pacientes alérgicos reaccionan simplemente con el equivalente a una cincuentava parte de un cacahuate. En algunos casos la reacción incluso ocurre con una milésima parte de un cacahuate.
De 6 a 7 millones de americanos sufren de algún tipo de alergia alimenticia y 3 millones tienen alergias a los cacahuates (esto es el 1.1 % de la población).
Un estudio hecho por la Universidad Johns Hopkins encontró que un 50% de los niños de edad escolar perdieron su alergia al crecer, pero también descubrió que en algunos de los participantes en este estudio, la alergia regresó después de un tiempo.
My friend actually developed a temporary peanut allergy brought on by stress. I watched her face swell up like a balloon when exposed to them. When she stopped pushing on a string it stopped. Anyway, this is good news for many.
Really? I didn’t know you could get a temporary peanut allergy. Go figgure! I suppose people’s bodies protest in funny ways sometimes
That is interesting. We’ve had to extend little man’s exposure to peanuts because of the milk protein allergy he developed at four months of age. As a result we’ve had to read up on peanut allergies in the event he develops one.
Around that time my wife was telling me about a similar study, I think she said it was at Duke, where they did a test by incorporating peanuts into cake. The only problem they found with the desensitization is that they need to maintain that exposure in order to prevent the problem from coming back. So, if that were accurate, these kids would need to be exposed to peanuts in their diet every day for the rest of their lives.
At the hospital where my wife works they get the occasional case where someone has a penicillin allergy and they need to undergo a desensitization to it because penicillin is the best treatment for what landed them in the hospital. I’ll refrain from what that might be
She told me probably once a year they get a case like this and the person will still have the allergy, but the desensitization process is only temporary to get them over what is making them sick.
.-= PJ Mullen´s last blog ..Being Michael Symon =-.
My mom used to work out at a gym that had a daycare. My brother and I were pretty clever/cynical children since we hated being there. There was a girl older than me that nobody liked because she always was complaining about SOMETHING. Her mom came in one day and saw a jar of peanuts and FREAKED out because her daughter was allergic. Being the brat I was, I flipped my eyelids inside out and called my self the peanut man and chased around after her. To this day, it’s still funny.. but mean!
I hope it works. Peanut is one the things our baby is allergic to. Hopefully he’ll out grow it soon.
.-= Daddy Forever´s last blog ..Her Batman Dollhouse =-.
Ken: I was always told that peanut allergies were for life, but that’s not true according to what I’ve read. Thats good news. This research looks especially promising. Thanks for stopping in again!