Butter Allergy & Peanut Butter Allergy – Symptoms and Treatment

Milk proteins present in butter cause butter allergy. Butter is a favorite breakfast dish; having bread without it can be very difficult. Butter is used in many culinary dishes. It is a must for breakfast in the case of many people. They simply cannot do without it. It is tasty and used as a spread on bread. The aroma of butter melting in the pot can be very enticing.

Those suffering from milk allergy can also suffer from butter allergy, as similar proteins are present in both products.

Many children tend to overcome milk allergy by the time they are 3 years old and thus also overcome butter allergy by the same age.

Symptoms of Butter Allergy

Some of the primary butter allergy symptoms includes: [1] [2]

• Urticaria
• Rash
• Pruritus
• Wheezing cough
• Discomfort of throat
• Swollen lip
• Nausea
• Pruritus of oral cavity
• Itching of throat and body

Treatment of Butter Allergy

Below are some of the better ways of treating butter allergy: [1]

• Oral antihistamine
• Steroids
• Inhaled bronchodilator
• β2-adrenergic agonists inhalation
• Allergy shots
• Avoid products that contain butter, such as cakes and cookies, etc.
• Proper diagnosis and timely treatment can help cure butter allergy.

Peanut butter allergy reaction

In peanut allergy, IgE-reactivity among varied proteins is responsible for severe symptoms. Glycosylation and glycation modify peanut allergens. These modifications primarily affect two things:

• Innate immunity: our body’s basic defense against foreign invaders.
• Allergen digestion: how our body breaks down these peanut allergens.

These changes impact how the IgE antibody (a protein our body produces in response to allergies) connects with the allergen. [3]

The reaction can be between a few seconds to a few hours. Let’s look at some of the facts about the allergy – [4]

• Affects 4%-8% of children
• Affects 1%-2% of adults
• It occurs during childhood
• Symptoms appear as early as 4 months
• It is most common within the first 2 years of life
• 20% of children outgrow it
• It doesn’t always decrease with time
• The severity can increase with age

Symptoms of Peanut butter allergy

Primary peanut butter allergy symptoms: [4] [5]

• Urticaria
• Erythema
• Edema
• Tingling of the mouth and throat
• Edema of the lips
• Dyspnea
• Skin reactions (e.g., rash, hives)
• Upper respiratory symptoms
• Lower respiratory symptoms
• Hypotension (low blood pressure)
• Arrhythmias (irregular heartbeats)
• Gastrointestinal symptoms (e.g., stomach pain, vomiting)
• Genitourinary symptoms
• Symptoms might progress to anaphylaxis

Peanut Butter allergy can prevent those suffering from it from having it. The symptoms are quite alarming at times.

References

1. Department of Pediatrics, National Hospital Organization, Sendai Medical Center, Miyagi, Japan – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4341340/
2. Herbert Brill, Assistant Professor in the Division of Gastroenterology and Nutrition in the Department of Pediatrics at McMaster Children’s Hospital in Hamilton, Ont. – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2553152/
3. Laboratory of Structural Biology, National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4785306/
4. Reena Patel1; Alan P. Koterba (PBCGME) – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538526/
5. Division of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, St. Michael’s Hospital, University of Toronto, Toronto, ON – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2868887/