Chris Brookes-Smith used to live in constant fear of peanuts due to a life-threatening allergy.
Back in 2014, he ordered a curry at a local Indian restaurant, not knowing it contained peanuts. What followed was a terrifying allergic reaction that he still remembers vividly.
He knew something was wrong after taking just one bite. Within seconds, a rash broke out on his lips, and before he knew it, he was vomiting. His throat began to close, hives spread across his body, and his face swelled up from the reaction.
He remembers thinking he was going to die.
At the hospital, the severity of his reaction became clear. His skin had blistered and was covered in painful hives, which he described as feeling like being scalded with boiling water.
Peanut allergies are among the most common food allergies worldwide, affecting millions of adults.
Because of the potential severity, many people with the allergy often feel anxious about dining out, traveling, or attending social events.
Experts say that about 1 in 50 children have a nut allergy. While some outgrow it, bringing the number down to about 1 in 200 adults, that’s not the case for everyone. For many, the allergy can actually become more severe with age.
For Chris, his allergy first came to light after he developed a rash as a baby after eating peanut butter sandwiches. Since then, each reaction he has experiences has been worse than the one before.
Despite enjoying traveling, Chris would purposely avoid going to countries that commonly use peanuts in their cuisine, such as south east Asia.
One day, his mom came across a clinical trial designed to help desensitize the body to substances it’s severely allergic to—in his case, peanuts.
Chris agreed to sign up, though he was initially nervous.
Desensitizing the Body
With guidance from doctors, Chris began desensitizing his body by consuming miniscule amounts of peanut protein mixed with yogurt. Over time, he gradually increased the amount until he was eventually able to eat whole peanuts.
By the end of the nine-month study, 14 out of 21 participants, including Chris, were able to eat up to five peanuts without experiencing any allergic reactions.
Professor Stephen Till, who led the clinical trial, said oral immunotherapy could have a life-changing impact. The results showed that adults with severe peanut allergies were able to increase their tolerance by up to 100 times.
Chris now eats four peanuts during breakfast every day to keep his allergy at bay, which is what his doctors had recommended.
He’s extremely grateful for having had the chance to participate in the clinical trial and hopes that others with severe peanut allergies like him can benefit from the same treatment.
