Allergy, Cashew Nut

Cashews are quite famous in the nut category. Millions of people consume them on a daily basis. Athough cashews are associated with immense health benefits, exposure to these nuts can trigger allergic reaction in some people.

The cashew nut allergy test is a diagnostic procedure that analyzes a person’s vulnerability to nut allergy. Sometimes, a cashew allergy test indicates an isolated condition, i.e., the person is only allergic to cashew nuts. In other cases, it is an inclusive condition in which an individual is allergic to other nuts as well.

Nut allergy test helps determine the condition because these allergies can potentially trigger severe reaction. A cashew nut allergy test on time can help prevent the reaction from escalating to life-threatening situations like loss of breath, anaphylactic shock, and other symptoms.

Since the symptoms occur immediately after consuming cashew nuts, one can take note of the same and go for a nut allergy test.

Below are the symptoms observed in cashew nut allergy: 

• Shortness of breath
• Difficulty in swallowing
• Runny nose and swelling around eyes
• Diarrhoea
• Abdominal pain and vomiting
• Itchiness or rashes in the throat and inner lining of the mouth
• Anaphylactic shock in severe cases

The cashew nut allergy test not only includes testing for the presence of the condition but also finds out the allergen responsible for producing the symptoms. The allergen identification assists in sensitization before starting immunotherapy for the condition.

In most cases, a cashew nut allergy is caused due to poison ivy, poison oak, and poison sumac. This is because the tree is related to the plants that produce these poisons. The cashew allergy test looks for allergens such as:

• Vicilin-like globulin which is a significant allergen in the nut
• Legumin-like protein that also causes significant allergies
• Albumin that accelerates the allergies in the body
• Profilin is an allergen that has not been evaluated yet

Apart from finding the allergens, the nut allergy test also checks for cross-reactivity reactions. This procedure helps understand the stimulation of other reactions that could harm the body.

Cross-reactivity between cashew nut, pistachio, and walnut is possible because the primary allergen in cashew is also present in these nuts. The cashew nut allergy test also reveals the condition's clinical manifestations, including other food allergies, atopic dermatitis, contact dermatitis, and hypersensitivity chain reaction.

Other reactions identified by a cashew allergy test are sensitization, asthma, and allergic rhinitis.

Out of all the reactions, it is essential to treat anaphylaxis which sends your body into a state of shock. The most common anaphylaxis complication is the severe effects of allergen in the airways, gut, skin, and heart.

These may include a rapid decrease in blood pressure, swelling in the tongue and around the lips, and difficulty communicating. Cashew allergy test also identifies the neurotoxic effects of the allergen in the body.