Is the sweat of a person who has eaten something with nuts a risk?

[Jessica]

I was reading at a general board that someone's daughter is on a cheer team with a girl that has nut allergies. The daughter, who has no allergies, has been asked not to eat energy bars with traces of nuts because she might sweat it out and come into contact with the allergic girl. I have to admit I've never heard of someone's sweat being a risk. Especially if that someone was only eating a 'may contain traces' and not something that has nuts as an actual ingredient. We all know how hard it is to find locally accessible and inexpensive energy bars without nuts (impossible, for most). So I can imagine that the non-allergic girl's mother is confused about all of this.

[rebekahc]

I think that's a pretty big stretch.  Yes, I've heard of people reacting to their spouse's sweat, but an energy/protein bar eaten just before practice isn't going to be digested enough to sweat out during practice.  Maybe what the girl ate yesterday or earlier in the day, but not just before practice.  And sweating out a may contain would, IMO, pose no risk at all.  From a practical standpoint though, I could see asking teammates to refrain from eating actual nuts just before practice.  Cheer is pretty close contact and it being on their hands, mouths, breath could be a problem.

[SilverLining]

I react to my husbands sweat but only if he eats my allergen.  He eats "may contain" stuff regularly and I have no problem with that.

To be clear though (since for this conversation I think it's important) it doesn't require personal contact for me to react.  If he eats sesame seeds (my worst allergen) and sweats in his sleep, I absorb the sweat through my pores from the sheets.

If You have any questions I can help with and I don't reply please pm me as I may not see the questions.  (I'm not on-line as much lately.)

[becca]

well, my dd plays basketball and soccer, and has, if nothing else, been most obviously contact reactive at younger ages.  Now, she seems only ingestion reactive as we never get any mystery hives or eye swelling, which were her contact symptoms. 

My point is, she is bumping up against very sweaty players in both sports every time she plays, over many years.  we have never had this problem.  Of course, that is just us, but she has a few friends/classmates with PA/TNA as well, and I have never heard of this occurring in that type of contact.  But may contains seem quite a stretch in that scenario.  I would also aruge that with a partner(intimate partner) the contact is likely prolonged, and close, either on sheets, as SL described, or with physical contact.  And, everyone's sensetivity will be different.  But the scenario of seating out a may contain seems like a remore issue. 

I agree with Rebekah about the definite nut products, though.  On hands, in mout, teeth, etc...

[Mfamom]

Wow, I've NEVER heard of that....I have a PA kid who has wrestled, played basketball, football, lacrosse, etc. never had any problem.
Seems a bit "odd". 

[SilverLining]

This is just my own opinion.

I think only some people sweat out the proteins.  My husband does.  I also think it is more likely to be hives, not anaphylaxis.  Personally, even if it were my child, I would not ask people to avoid may contains unless it actually did cause a problem (which I don't think it would).

[CMdeux]

Never noted a problem.

Neither DD nor I has ever had a problem like this with a food allergen.  While I can see how it is theoretically possible (if only just), it really doesn't make sense unless teammates are truly going nut-free full-time, since my experience has been that some people seem to hang onto allergen a lot longer than others.  Research studies on saliva and breast milk seem to bear that out, as well.

DD has really extreme sensitivity... and while I don't necessarily feel that if it hasn't been a problem for her that it CANNOT be a problem for someone else... (particularly in this case, since she's not played contact sports with others this way-- only swimming and martial arts), I'm going to say that this seems a REALLY remote thing.  It's something that we would never worry about untill it seemed to present a problem.

Even if it did seem to be the case, I'd look very hard at more obvious sources, such as those Rebekah mentions.  DD can very definitely smell nut-breath, and she is most certainly contact-reactive.  That seems far more plausible to me as a risk, honestly.

[Mfamom]

sorry, but I feel that when people are putting stuff like this out, it really hurts our community overall.  People already think most of us are overprotective, neurotic, helicopter parents...It just seems really odd to me. 
There doesn't seem to be anything I can find in my piles of allergy information/google searches that sweating on someone after eating a "may contains" product will cause a person with pa to have a reaction. 

Wonder what other "accommodations" this parent is asking for?

[YouKnowWho]

I think accomodations should be more individualized and not as a whole.  So I don't necessarily see her as being a bad advocate for the whole community.  I am pretty sure the accomodations that some members here need aren't necessarily what everyone here needs if that makes sense.

Maybe, like SL she has had reactions to sweat.  Maybe she doesn't want to be up in a pyramid when she smells nutty breath (which frankly those energy bars will cause, nuts or not) from a pyschosomatic standpoint.  I know I had to be careful with my DH when intimate if he consumed one of my drug allergens which people might find crazy. 

Do you know how many drs and breastfeeding advocates told me breast milk was hypoallergenic?  Yet when my son stopped breastfeeding most of his eczema disappeared.  We didn't change what we ate at home (though I was more careful to wash my hands after eating when we discovered his allergens).  Not everyone has the right answers for everyone's situation, kwim?

[Mfamom]

oh please.  Really.  the whole thing doesn't even make sense. 
I see how husband and wife need to be mindful of each other's allergens.  It makes sense. 
Telling someone not to eat a may contains before practice because sweating on her kid could cause a reaction seems pretty far fetched. 

[Ra3chel]

For incidental contact? I wouldn't think so.

It's been an issue for me, but only with much more... er... extensive and protracted contact.