A teacher describes an allergic reaction to tree nuts with comments on diagnostics testing and prevention. It is always eye-opening experience to realize how patients/parents feels about the process of diagnosing, treating and preventing allergic reactions:"Today we went to the asthma and allergy specialists in Seattle. She got stuck 25 times in her back and then we were sent to Children's Hospital for a blood draw. The thing about nut allergies, and food allergies in general I guess, is that they do not always show on the skin tests. Sometimes the only way to know is to eat the food, but if you THINK you might be allergic you should not try this without a Dr to help. Still we SAW her reaction. Now here is a kicker, did you know that nuts, like walnuts, are coated with ACID to keep them fresh? Blech. She may not have been reacting to the nut but to the ACID instead? Double blech."
Source: What A Trooper! TechieWife, 06/2007.
Related:
Image source: Wikipedia, GNU Free Documentation License.
