She says she cannot fly on the plane unless the plane is 100% peanut free – that breathing potential peanut dust can cause anaphylaxis.
I’m curious about that as I am allergic to almonds, cottonseed and safflower (all cause angioedema – swelling of the lips, mouth, tongue, cheek, throat and other body parts) and several medications – I have an anaphylactic reaction to one medication. I carry 2 Epi-pens, Benadryl, Prednisone and Pepcid-AC in the event of an allergic reaction, which seems to happen about once per year, and involves eating “mystery food” at a restaurant.
Experts, though, give conflicting answers as to whether you can have an anaphylactic reaction from breathing (versus eating) peanut dust.
Here’s what some say:
Even if you are allergic to peanuts, touching, smelling or inhaling particles from peanuts cannot cause an allergic reaction—at least not the serious, life-threatening type that everyone with a peanut allergy fears. You are not in danger unless you eat them.
….
Reactions without ingestion do occasionally occur, Dr. Kim says. But the circumstances have to be just right; simply sitting next to someone eating shellfish, for example, won’t be a problem.
Can Simply Smelling Peanuts Cause an Allergic Reaction? | UNC Health Talk
And another – she didn’t die: Passenger with peanut allergy feared she’d die on plane after airline handed out nuts — despite her warning. In spite of peanuts served on both flights, she had no reactions, not even mild allergies or skin reactions.
That would be good news.
However, I asked Grok if there were cases of persons with peanut allergies experiencing an anaphylactic reaction from peanuts eaten by others on airline flight – and Grok says yes, this has happened and cite some studies on that. Thus, we are back to the dueling experts problem.
A 2016 case involved a passenger who reportedly suffered a severe allergic reaction to peanut dust from someone eating peanuts four rows away, leading to an emergency landing. The passenger required hospitalization but survived.
In 2022, 14-year-old Poppy Jones experienced a near-fatal anaphylactic reaction on a British Airways flight from Antigua to Gatwick after a passenger ignored announcements and ate peanuts. Her mother attributed the reaction to peanut particles spread via the plane’s air conditioning, and Poppy needed two EpiPen shots and oxygen to stabilize.
A 2008 study from the National Registry of Peanut and Tree Nut Allergy reported 42 allergic reactions on commercial flights, with 14 attributed to inhalation of peanut allergens. These reactions often involved upper airway symptoms progressing to skin or lower respiratory issues, and five cases required epinephrine. The study noted that reactions were more likely when many passengers were eating peanuts simultaneously.
The last paragraph describes allergic reactions but not anaphylactic reactions, fortunately.
