Tree nut allergies are a common and often serious type of food allergy. About 1 percent of people in the United States have a tree nut allergy. Although the majority of food allergic reactions occur when you eat the food you’re allergic to, many people with these allergies worry about having a reaction just by being near tree nuts. As one MyFoodAllergyTeam member stated, “Airborne triggers are tough to avoid!”

Keep reading to learn more about airborne allergies, whether tree nut allergies can be airborne, and what this means for people with tree nut allergies.

What Is an Airborne Allergy?

An airborne allergy happens when someone has an allergic reaction after inhaling tiny particles of an allergen. Some common airborne allergens include pollen, dust, and animal dander. Airborne allergy symptoms typically include sneezing, watery or itchy eyes, and a stuffy or runny nose. Airborne allergies can also worsen symptoms of asthma, making it harder to breathe.

Food allergic reactions mostly occur when you eat food that contains the allergen. However, it’s also possible to have an airborne reaction if the allergen from a food enters your body through your nose, eyes, or mouth, although the risk is very low. This may happen if you breathe in the allergen.

Processes like cooking and grinding foods can release the protein, or allergen, into the air, which may cause an allergic reaction. That said, simply smelling the food is not enough to cause an allergic reaction, because no protein is released in smells.

Can Tree Nut Allergies Be Airborne?

Tree nuts are a category of food that includes almonds, walnuts, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, pine nuts, macadamia nuts, and Brazil nuts, as well as several lesser-known nuts. Allergic reactions to tree nuts occur when a person’s immune system responds to proteins found in these nuts. Individuals may be allergic to only one type of tree nuts or a few. Research on airborne tree nut reactions is limited, but there’s a small chance that proteins from tree nuts can get into the air in the form of dust if someone crushes or grinds those nuts. Food proteins are not released into the air when someone is just eating the food near you.

Although tree nut proteins can be in the air after they are crushed or ground, the risk of having a serious allergic reaction just from breathing air with nut particles is generally low. Most allergic reactions to tree nuts happen when you eat the nuts or touch them directly and then touch your mouth, nose, or eyes. However, if you’re very sensitive to tree nuts or if you’re exposed to a high amount of airborne tree nuts, you may experience a reaction.

There’s more research on allergic reactions from airborne peanuts than from airborne tree nuts. Peanuts are often confused with tree nuts, but they are actually part of the legume family because they are grown underground and not on trees. Peanuts are also a common food allergy, and individuals who have a peanut allergy may also have a reaction to at least one tree nut. One study from 2021 pointed out that airborne peanut protein reactions are rare and do not usually cause severe symptoms.

Preventing and Managing Airborne Reactions

Although the risk of severe airborne reactions to tree nuts is low, people with allergies can take steps to stay safe and avoid tree nuts.

Be Cautious of High-Risk Areas

Certain places like bakeries, ice cream shops, coffee shops, certain restaurants, and nut-roasting facilities pose a higher risk of cross-contamination for people with tree nut allergies. This may cause a reaction in people who are very sensitive to tree nuts.

Before you go to a restaurant, you may want to see if there are items with tree nuts on the menu. You can also call the staff and ask questions about how they handle tree nuts and other allergens. If there are a lot of food items that contain tree nuts and you’re very sensitive to them, you may want to go somewhere else to avoid having a reaction.

As one MyFoodAllergyTeam member suggested, “Besides staying out of movie theaters, fairgrounds, and amusement parks, I put in my grocery orders online and go pick them up, rather than walking around the store.”

Communicate Your Allergy

Let people around you know about your allergy. This can help them be more careful about eating or handling nuts near you. If someone else is preparing food for you, like a restaurant server or a staff member, make sure they understand your tree nut allergy. They should prepare your food in a nut-free area.

Many airlines have policies to keep passengers with allergies safe, but if you’re worried about flying, it’s always a good idea to let your airline know about your allergy before you travel. Because nut proteins don’t easily become airborne unless they are cooked or ground up, the risk of having an airborne reaction on a flight is low. The most common way people are exposed to tree nuts on airplanes is from dust or contamination that may be on surfaces of the plane, or from accidentally eating meals that they believe are nut-free.

Wiping down the tray, seat, and other surfaces of the plane that you will be touching or eating off of is the most important way to keep yourself safe from allergic reactions on an airplane.

Carry Emergency Medicine

Always carry your prescribed emergency medicine, like an epinephrine auto-injector, in case you experience an unexpected severe allergic reaction. While it is unlikely that you will experience a severe airborne allergic reaction, it’s always important to have your emergency medication on hand.

Create Safe Spaces

Some schools and workplaces have nut-free policies to protect people with allergies. These policies primarily prevent people from accidentally eating food containing nuts or touching a surface with nut residue. However, the risk of a serious airborne reaction in these settings is generally low, regardless of the presence of nuts.

If you’re concerned about food allergy reactions, you can work with schools, employers, and event organizers to create nut-free zones. Make sure people in these places know how to help you in emergencies.

Another MyFoodAllergyTeam member shared that their son, who has peanut and tree nut allergies, recently started school, adding “We’ve set up a 504 with the district and, according to that, the school is now nut-free.” A 504 plan protects children with food allergies while they’re at school. You can request that the school provide nut-free zones to keep your child safe.

Talk With Your Doctor

Be sure to bring up any concerns with your health care provider or allergist. Together, you can create an action plan that addresses your needs and helps you feel more prepared. With the right precautions, most people with tree nut allergies can go about their daily lives safely.

Talk With Others Who Understand

MyFoodAllergyTeam is the social network for people with food allergies and their loved ones. On MyFoodAllergyTeam, more than 41,000 members come together to ask questions, give advice, and share stories with others who understand life with food allergies.

Do you have a tree nut allergy? Have you ever experienced an airborne reaction? Share your experience in the comments below, or start a conversation by posting on your Activities page.