Sudden nut allergy

[Sapphire29]

Does anyone have experience of nut allergies/intolerances in teenagers? My Son ate a brazil nut tonight and immediately said his mouth felt strange, he could feel spots emerging on his lips and was finding swallowing difficult ( not severe enough to call 999) it lasted about 20 mins.
He has no history of allergies, has always eaten nuts (was eating almonds 2 days ago) and I'm sure he's eaten brazil nuts prior to now.
I can't get a GP appointment until mid January so was going to book him a private allergy test just to be sure.

Yes it worth paying for the allergy testing because it sounds like he needs to be carrying an epi pen.

Allergies can arrive at any time in life. Tell him to be careful about all tree nuts now until tested

Ps: lip swelling is only a moderate reaction but swallowing issues are a big red flag so please don't leave this too long.

In the meantime get some antihistamines in the house - they can be taken at any time

When you say a private allergy test, what are you thinking of? He needs skin prick testing and/or specific IgE blood tests (previously called RAST testing) interpreted by an appropriately trained health care professional. There are lots of companies claiming to be able to identify allergies and intolerances by other means but there is no scientific evidence to support them. You can get proper testing done in legitimate private clinics and hospitals of course but there are a lot of cowboys around so please take care and ensure you see someone reputable.
In the meantime, as the previous poster said, avoid all tree nuts until you've got the testing done, make sure he has access to antihistamines and have a low threshold for going to A&E if it happens again. Be especially careful over Christmas as so many chocolates, cakes etc contain nuts. My DS is allergic to most nuts and they seem to be everywhere at this time of year!

OP, when you said private I presumed you meant SPT and bloods via a private provider (can recommend Dr Adam Fox at Allergy London). But this poster is right - don't go for any of the random pseudoscience crap that is peddled online

I have severe allergies, any issue with the airway, this includes swallowing means emergency medical help is needed. Never ignore airway issues again.

Yes I suddenly became allergic at 17 after eating nuts all the time. Went to a&e and blue lighted to nearest big hospital.
Luckily not had a severe one since but after allergy tests shows allergies to most nuts I have EpiPens

Skin prick tests will show ige allergies. You can try NHS but private will be quicker. Your son may need a epi pen I would definitely do this. He should also avoid Brazil nuts until this is checked out. Keep some antihistamine in the house too.