Naked Science Forum
Life Sciences => Physiology & Medicine => Topic started by: Bob on 08/09/2011 12:30:05
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Bob asked the Naked Scientists:
Question: I nearly died a couple of years ago when I ate a snack (can't spell hors d'oeuvres) served to me at a party GIVEN IN MY OWN HOME (party was catered). I found in dramatic fashion that I am terribly allergic to pine nuts. As 46 year old with no prior food allergy diagnosis, I found this interesting.
I was 'fortunate' to have an ENT doctor as a guest at the party he had me drink all the benadryl in the house and after heaving with incredibly powerful bouts of vomiting pronounced me better. Sadly, I began freezing and wanted to just wrap up in blankets and go to sleep which would have been my last sleep had my wife not examined my body and found aggressive and welpy rash spreading quickly up and down my body starting at my abdomen I was rapidly going into shock (can't spell anaphylaxis). Anyway, I got the express lane when I got to the ER I skipped over all the flu cases and auto accident victims for immediate service.
your guest on the allergy mentioned that food is digested and enters the system very quickly. fine. But the instant I popped it in my mouth (cheese ball coated in pine nuts) I was told to swallow it directly (not chew). The instant I swallowed, my throat had a compromised sensation. I literally popped it, and 2 seconds later asked the caterer if there was alcohol in the recipe. I don't drink alcohol and the instant burn I felt from my throat to my esophagus reminded me of a highly concentrated communion'.
Was my sensation on 'contact' part of the allergic reaction?... or was it something different? The severe throat swelling seemed to happen on contact, but may have taken a minute or two the heaving hit me a while later, only to subside and have my body begin shutting down but the first sick feeling absolutely hit me on contact.
Thanks, Bob
From Atlanta
What do you think?