When Lori Purpura was growing up, peanut allergies weren't nearly as common as they are today.
"I grew up in a day when nobody knew about peanut allergies," Purpura said.
She remembers going to friends' houses and their parents not believing she was allergic to peanuts. Purpura's 3-year-old daughter Adrianne, who also is allergic to peanuts, should have it much easier.
Approximately 1.5 million people in the United States are allergic to peanuts, according to the Mayo Clinic.
"The reason you hear more about (peanut allergies) is because it's more prevalent," said Dr. Jerrold Eichner, pediatric asthma, allergy and respiratory diseases specialist at the Great Falls Clinic.
It's becoming more common because Americans are eating more peanuts, he said. And it's specific to the United States. In Asia, sesame seed allergies are a growing problem.
It's not known why it's so common for Americans to develop allergies to peanuts, rather than apples, for example, which they also eat a lot of, he said. But there's something about the protein in certain foods that causes the reaction.
In very young children, milk, egg, wheat and soy allergies are common, Eichner said. Children typically grow out of those, but with peanuts, about 80 percent have the allergy their whole lives.
Because Purpura is allergic to peanuts, she had her daughter tested before she ever fed them to her.
Adrianne's peanut allergy didn't mean a lifestyle change for the Purpuras. Their house was already peanut free. The in-home day care Adrianne attends decided to go peanut free.
But it's other places where Purpura worries about her daughter being exposed — the day care at the gym, at friends' houses or anywhere she might share a snack with another child.
With a young child, parents have to be in total control of what they eat, Eichner said. By the time kids reach about age 5, they usually understand and are good at speaking up about their allergies.
Problems usually happen at friends' houses or at school, although it's rare to see an allergic reaction at school, he said.
Peanut allergies aren't uncommon within the Great Falls School District. Every school handles them differently, said Jennifer Spellman, supervisor of food service for the district.
Riverview Elementary School has a peanut-free table in the cafeteria, said Principal Howard Corey. There's also a list kept in the cafeteria that identifies all the students who have food allergies.
"It's mostly just communication and being aware," Corey said.
Typically, kids are good about letting adults know, he said.
"They're very good about self-monitoring," said Jane Gregoire, principal at North Middle School.
Treats during classroom parties or other events are a concern, but teachers are aware of allergies in their classrooms and watch out for those students, Corey said.
At North, students are grouped into teams and all the teachers in a team are aware of any allergies, Gregoire said.
The district serves peanut butter and jelly sandwiches about once a month, Spellman said.
"It's the second most liked menu item," she said — second to chicken nuggets.
Everybody is just extra cautious on PB&J days.
For students whose allergies are severe enough, they don't eat in the cafeteria on days when peanut butter is served, Gregoire said.
The district sees other kinds of food allergies as well and works with those students and parents to make sure the student isn't exposed to the food, Spellman said.
Tree nuts, such as walnuts and pecans, also have a high allergy incidence, Eichner said. However, those allergies aren't as common in kids because children don't eat tree nuts as early as peanuts.
Peanut allergy reactions typically involve hives and anaphylaxis, which can result in trouble breathing, loss of consciousness and even death.
A food allergy is different than an intolerance. A true allergic reaction involves the immune system overacting to an ordinarily harmless food. Intolerances usually result because the digestive system isn't able to process a certain food.
Food allergies can be tested by blood and skin tests, Eichner said.
Most children and adults who have food allergies are prescribed injectable epinephrine to carry with them in the case of an emergency.
Purpura keeps two EpiPens, a brand of self-injected epinephrine, in her purse and another two at home. She also has an allergy kit that contains chewable Benadryl, an EpiPen and instructions, which goes with Adrianne anytime Purpura's purse isn't nearby.
Corey and Gregoire have seen first hand the increase in peanut allergies. Corey has been an elementary school principal for eight years.
"A few years ago, you really didn't see much," he said.
"I think we're seeing more kids with all kinds of allergies," Gregoire said.
