Peanut Allergies: The In's and Out's

Trying to get through life is complicated enough without life throwing curve balls. But like Rikki Rogers said “strength doesn’t come from what you can do. It comes from overcoming the things you once thought u couldn't”.

This can relate to day-to-day things like job interviews or overcoming a fear however it also relates to the people who have the fear every day. Those who are scared to eat out, those who feel ashamed of something they have no right to feel ashamed about. If you're unsure of what I'm talking about I'm going to let you know as you maybe be taking what you have for granted.

Most people suffer from allergies, scientists have proven 49% of the population suffer from Hay fever with itchy throat, sore eyes and tiredness. This could be from pollen, trees or even grass, but for the most time this is only in summer, which is only 93 days (about 3 months) out of 365 days. That may seem a lot and for some it really is. For 2% of children and 7% of adults it’s a reoccurring problem in their life which not only affects them but people around them.

Peanut allergies are one of the most common allergies . Most would think since it’s the most common it’s the easiest to tackle but let me tell you it's not. Have you ever read the label of a chocolate bar, a packet of crisps, a box of chicken nuggets, or even the label of makeup? Probably not and that’s fine, most of you don’t have to but for some it’s crucial as their life could potentially be on the line.

Due to modern technology, we now have EpiPens which are large needles that are given to people to take everywhere. Yes everywhere, as you can never be too safe when your life is at risk! These needles allow the airways of someone who is having an anaphylactic shock to open up so they can breathe without chocking to death. Unfortunately, these magic pens only go so far and the development into alternative treatment is still limited.

Many teens who need or want to use contraception may have to go through a long and difficult process. This is because contraception contains many ingredients and can trigger symptoms to rise. If you have ever read a label of contraception, you will know the thousands of risks with it for example headaches, nausea, rashes and more. For many teens with a nut allergy, taking contraception comes with many more health risks that are potentially life-threatening. Many doctors, like Royston practice, have tried to deny contraception of any type (the pill, injection) as they do not want to increase the risk of something dangerous happening. However, many parents refuse to agree with the Doctors Surgery arguing that it is discrimination against many young adults.

Simon Collins a member of the public in Barnsley, who is also a farther of a young girl who has a peanut allergy had to email the deputy head of Barnsley general quoting, "My 16-year-old daughter has been denied the contraception injection of our doctors because of raised concerns about a possible reaction. Before the surgery flagged this, she had already taken contraception with no issues” Mr. Collins continued to tell the surgery how he had to wait weeks for a consultation only for the Doctors to shut him and his wife down. When this email got sent, he had received an email back from Barnsley General telling him there was no problem with his daughter having it, and there should not have been this problem in the first place.

As you can clearly see there needs to be a change. There is no clarity across the UK or throughout individual Doctors Surgeries. Something must be done.