i would like an educated understanding. what is the antigen doing? how come the person quits breathing? what exactly is happening to the immune system? i don't want wikipedia. i just want common sense.
2006-09-29 10:22:28 · 16 answers · asked by aray 1 in Health ➔ Other - Health
Usually, the body responds to really bad substances (Like bacteria) by having an immune reaction. This involves a release of histamine, which is involved in a lot of reactions, like narrowing your airways and like the swelling you get when you get stung by a bee.
Now, in some people, this normal immune reaction goes crazy, and overreacts to things it shouldn't, like the proteins in peanuts. A massive amount of histamine is produced, which causes the airways to constrict a lot. Blood pressure drops and the body goes into complete shock. Like your whole body going through what happens at a bee sting site, it can't be healthy!
2006-09-29 10:30:46 · answer #1 · answered by Xenophonix 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Our immune systems are supposed to fight off infectious substances that enter the body and allergic reaction occur when the immune system mistakes a harmless substance for an infectious one and begins to attack it.
The immune system acts to release histamine in the blood and antibodies from cells and organs in the body to fight the infection. When the substance it is fighting is harmless, the body experiences allergy symptoms.
It is actually still a mystery why some people's immune system mistakes peanuts for an infectious agent.
Some die - from anaphylactic shock which is sudden and can be fatal. This reaction involves many different areas of the body - one being our respiratory tract - which is why people can stop breathing. The antigen in peanuts is what can cause this response as well as the other allergic responses that we have to food, medications, etc.
:o)
2006-09-29 10:34:54 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
All I know is that some people are extremely allergic to peanuts. Also what is weird about it is that it can be an allergy that just develops at any given age for example - you ate and loved eating peanuts all your life with no problem and now you are in your 20's and if you eat one peanut you become short of breath, possibly break out in rash, etc. I do not know what antigen that it is that causes this. Also I heard that peanut butter is even worse than peanuts but that doesn't make sense to me. Anyway that is all I know
2006-09-29 10:34:37 · answer #3 · answered by Kim M 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If someone has a severe enough allergy to peanuts (or just about anything else), the immune system kicks in and starts trying to repel the "invader" it thinks is dangerous.
Histamines are released, which cause a variety of things to happen -- including swelling/inflammation of the bronchial tubes. When those tubes swell enough (and they're probably also constricting because of the stress), then a person can't get air into their lungs properly.
2006-09-29 10:28:58 · answer #4 · answered by mistryl_jade 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
For some unknown reason, to me, a person can be allergic to peanuts. They will stop breathing - so giving a person peanuts, when they are allergic to them, is really killing them. Probably about half of the population, of the U.S., is allergic to something. My mother is allergic to any medication with 'cillin' in it. I don't know how she became that way either. I don't know how allergies is realted, if it is, to a person's immune system. Hopefully, a Dr. is reading this and has some input.
2006-09-29 10:34:01 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Many times with allergic reactions a persons tongue can swell up, blocking the air passage in the back of the throat. This is one of the causes
2006-09-29 10:25:19 · answer #6 · answered by j H 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Eating too many peanuts can kill someone from the high fat content in them
2015-06-23 03:15:44 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Charlie Brown wouldn't let him go out for a call of nature.
So Peanuts went postal on poor, poor Linus. There was blood-stained security blanket EVERYWHERE.
2006-09-29 10:35:22 · answer #8 · answered by dryheatdave 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
i think that peanuts can kill you because there is too much salt on it and its bad for you body system. it can sometimes cause you to get diabetes if you have too much in your body. fi you are talking about peanut that kills you cause if yuo get too much in throat it can clug it and than it would make you die. but you have a drink with it you have a better chance of not dying.
2006-09-29 10:33:40 · answer #9 · answered by quay 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Common sense? You just answered yourself. If a person is allergic then you have anaphalaxis and you die.
2006-09-29 10:24:36 · answer #10 · answered by jen 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋