article_snippet: Nuts can trigger some of the most severe allergic reactions, although it's not clear why .
article_snippet: Nut allergy is the most common type of severe food allergy.
article_snippet: Nut allergy Nut allergy is an umbrella term for an allergy to both peanuts (which, strictly speaking, are not nuts but legumes, belonging to the same family as peas and beans) and tree nuts, such as walnuts, hazelnuts, almonds, cashews, pecans, brazils and pistachios.
article_snippet: Like many other foods, nuts can act as allergens, but for reasons that aren't clear, allergens cause some of the most severe reactions.
article_snippet: In the UK, about 1 in 100 people have an allergy to peanuts and about 1 in 200 people have an allergy to tree nuts.
article_snippet: The number of people with peanut allergy is growing.
article_snippet: People who have other allergic conditions in their family - such as hay fever, asthma and eczema - are more likely to suffer nut allergy.
article_snippet: Most people with nut allergy react after contact with small amounts (less than one nut) and some people may react to trace amounts, the website patient.co.uk reports.
article_snippet: This means some people don't even have to eat an actual nut to have a reaction.
article_snippet: A minority of people are so sensitive to nut allergens that a tiny amount on A minority of people lips - or even standing next to someone eating peanuts - can trigger a reaction.