A woman living with a severe peanut allergy has pleaded for more understanding after a fellow plane passenger became annoyed at a request for no nuts on board. Chloe Dickson, 28 and from Brighton in the United Kingdom, lives with a severe peanut allergy and has to be "hypervigilant" every day to avoid coming into contact with the allergen. "You’re constantly thinking about what you’re eating, where it has been prepared, whether it’s safe and whether the people around you understand the seriousness of the allergy," she told Newsweek.
"It can become exhausting because, even when you’re trying to simply enjoy yourself, there’s always that extra layer of awareness and caution." In Dickson's case, if people around her have eaten or handled nuts, there is a "real concern about cross-contamination," as nut residue can stick to tables, door handles and anything else that is commonly handled in public. As she put it: "It’s not just about someone handing me a peanut; it’s about the invisible traces that can be left behind in everyday places." Dickson regularly shares posts on social media raising awareness about allergy-friendly places in her area and how she lives with her allergy day to day. Usually, she says, airlines are "incredibly accommodating" when she lets them know of her allergy, and will often make an announcement "asking passengers not to open or eat nuts around me, which gives me some reassurance when I’m flying." Sometimes, however, airlines might tell her just to let the passengers around her know about her allergy herself, which she says can be "daunting".
But on a recent flight, the airline happily agreed to make the announcement—and Dickson caught one disgruntled passenger's response on camera. When recording the moment airline staff made an announcement about a passenger on board having a peanut allergy, and requesting that customers not eat any on the flight, a man could be heard to say in an annoyed tone: "Really?" She said the man went on to argue with her and make comments throughout the four-hour flight, leading her to suffer a panic attack. Dickson said the situation made her "incredibly anxious", and that it is "terrifying" when people argue back after they learn about her allergy, as "you feel like your life is in their hands." Overall, she says passengers' reactions can be "mixed", as some are understanding while others make "insensitive comments." "I think it largely comes down to a lack of awareness and education around severe allergies and just how serious the consequences can be," she suggested.
Peanut allergies are one of the most common causes of a life-threatening allergic reaction to food, according to a report from the Mayo Clinic. Symptoms can range from hives, itching in the mouth and throat, nausea and vomiting, shortness of breath and a tightening of the throat, to a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis symptoms include swelling of the lips, tongue and throat that makes it hard to breathe, a severe drop in blood pressure, constriction or airways and loss of consciousness, and is a medical emergency.
While studies have shown that the risk of nut particles circulating through aircraft ventilation systems is low, cross-contamination is still a risk. A report from AllergyUK stated that any reconsideration of no-nuts policies on aircraft should "only be safely explored if...additional recommended safety measures are consistently implemented and enforced by airlines." Dickson said she wishes people "understood that having a severe allergy isn’t a choice, and I’m not being difficult or overreacting. It’s something that genuinely threatens my life." "You have to think about it all day, every day, and constantly make decisions to keep yourself safe," she explained.
"That in itself can be exhausting, and situations like flying can feel incredibly overwhelming because you’re relying on the people around you to understand how serious it is. "All I’m asking for is a little understanding and consideration because for me, it’s not an inconvenience, it’s about staying alive." Is there a health issue that's worrying you? Do you have a question about allergies?
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