Does asthma in kids mean food allergies, too? Seems likely.

My son, Ben, happens to be one of those oh-so-lucky kids who has food allergies, severe seasonal allergies AND asthma… a true, triple threat combo that’s apparently not so uncommon. I’ve often wondered how he could be so lucky (total sarcasm, by the way) to have all three, so I was intrigued to recently run across an article that found a link between asthmatic children and peanut allergies.

The article touched on how symptoms of an asthma attack, like wheezing, coughing and shortness of breath, can also be experienced in a severe allergic reaction, and how a team of researchers in Ohio took it a step further to associate the two.

Of 1,500+ asthmatic kids, they found that over 300 had tested positively for peanut sensitivity. But the biggest takeaway for me? Of those 300+, more than 175 had no idea of their issue with the legume. (You can read the full article here.)

So the moral of this blog is that many kids who are susceptible to food allergies are the same kiddos who struggle with seasonal allergies (and not to mention allergic asthma). And if your child has asthma, it might not be a bad idea to go ahead and have them tested for peanut allergies (if you haven’t already), if not other food allergies, too. (For example, Ben is allergic to tree nuts… not peanuts.)

Further, if your kid has both severe food allergies and asthma, check with your physician on the best plan of attack in handling an allergic reaction. It’s highly possible you’ll be told to go directly for the epinephrine (as opposed to reaching for the Benadryl first and then waiting to see if symptoms persist) – no if’s, and’s or but’s about it.

Have you tested your asthma kid for food allergies? What was the outcome? And if your child has both, do you have any tips for managing them that you’d like to share with the community?

Iris

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