Peanut allergies can be severe, sometimes even life-threatening. Over the years, the process of peanut allergy treatment has made it possible to live with this type of health issue and in some cases even eventually overcome the problem. When it comes to peanut allergy treatment, there are three types of methods commonly employed, including avoidance, the use of medication, and even incremental exposure that helps to build up immunity to peanut products.
One of the more common strategies of peanut allergy treatment is avoidance. This process calls for identifying and staying away from any food that contains peanuts in any capacity. Even avoiding foods that have been prepared using peanut oil may be necessary. While this approach can be difficult to manage, the benefit is being able to avoid severe reactions such as rashes, breathing problems, and any of the other symptoms that may manifest as the result of ingesting even a small amount of peanut product.
Since completely avoiding anything with peanuts is difficult, many physicians recommend the use of medication as either a means of suppressing the allergy or as a crisis treatment if the exposure does occur. With this type of peanut allergy treatment, the goal is to address the symptoms before they can manifest, or subdue them quickly if some form of peanuts is ingested by mistake. One medication that is often used is known as epinephrine, which can be injected as soon as any allergic symptoms manifest. It is not unusual for patients with this type allergy to keep the medication and a syringe on hand, so the treatment can be administered before the symptoms become severe.
One relatively new form of peanut allergy treatment involves the incremental introduction of measured amounts of peanuts into the diet. The idea behind this approach is to allow the patient to gradually build up an immunity to peanuts over time. As the body adjusts, the frequency and severity of the symptoms begin to subside. While not a solution for everyone, this particular peanut allergy treatment can, over a period of years, make it possible to no longer suffer with the allergy, and be able to consume foods containing peanut products without experiencing any discomfort or pain. This form of exposure therapy must be done under the care of a physician, who can determine the dosage and also monitor the gradual buildup of the immunity.
