“Peanut allergy affects approximately 1.5 million people in the United States. As the most common cause of life-threatening allergic reactions (anaphylaxis), peanut allergies account for 80 percent of fatal or near-fatal allergic reactions each year. You can reduce your risk of having an allergic reaction to peanuts by knowing as much as you can about peanut allergy and how to avoid peanut-containing products. If you have any reaction to peanuts, tell your doctor about it, no matter how mild the reaction may have been. Tests can help diagnose peanut allergy, so you can take steps to avoid future and potentially worse reactions. Peanut allergies trigger an immune system response. Your immune system reacts to proteins found in peanuts. Exposure to peanuts or traces of peanuts may cause immediate reactions, such as itching, redness, swelling, shortness of breath, wheezing, nausea, abdominal pain, lightheadedness or loss of consciousness (anaphylaxis).The chemicals in peanuts can cause hives to develop on the areas of your skin that have come in contact with peanuts or traces of peanuts. Hives may spread to the rest of your body. Allergic reactions to peanuts usually occur within minutes after exposure, although reactions within an hour or so after ingestion are possible. Signs and symptoms can range in severity depending on which body systems are involved in a reaction and how much peanut protein you've been exposed to. The most serious and potentially deadly allergic reaction to peanuts is an anaphylactic response. If you are highly sensitive, an anaphylactic reaction can develop immediately after peanut exposure, causing the airways (bronchi) to constrict, making breathing difficult. Blood pressure may drop to life-threateningly low levels, making you feel dizzy or lose consciousness. Other serious signs and symptoms of an anaphylactic reaction include:

• Wheezing
• Rapid or weak pulse
• Blueness of your skin, including your lips and nail beds
• Diarrhea
• Nausea and vomiting
• Dizziness
• Loss of consciousness

Seek emergency medical care if you or someone else develops an anaphylactic reaction.” Source: Mayoclinic.com