Why are some people allergic to peanuts? – YouTube Dictation Transcript & Vocabulary

1.hi it's Jay when I was a kid my basketball team practiced in the gym at another school outside the gym there was these big signs that said no peanuts the sign made it clear that this was not a suggestion this was a strict rule no peanuts allowed in this gym none zero I was confused what's so bad about peanuts but later I found out that there was a reason for this rule see the gym at this school was also where kids ate lunch and some kids at the school were allergic to peanuts if they accidentally ate peanuts it could make them very sick that was the first time I had ever heard of a peanut allergy but now as an adult I know lots of friends and family members who are allergic to peanuts someone named KAS has a question about this let's call KAS now hi J hi K I have a question why are some people allergic to peanuts that's a great question millions and millions of people around the world have some kind of peanut allergy that means that eating food containing peanuts makes them sick in some cases very sick I bet you already know someone who has a peanut allergy maybe you know that you are allergic to peanuts yourself but how does this happen How could a simple tiny peanut cause so much trouble for so many people stuff enters your body all the time there's the food you eat the water you drink the air you breathe and so much more but every once in a while something enters your body that can harm you like poison or a germ when that happens your body reacts and makes a whole bunch of changes inside you sometimes these changes feel bad like a stomach ache or a runny nose or a bad cough and it's your body that's making you feel this way that might be a surprise why would your body make you feel sick can you think of any way a stomach ache a runny nose or a cough might help your body now would be a good time to pause the video and discuss okay ready feeling queasy or sniffly is never fun but when there's poison or harmful germs in your body big body reactions like these can help those reactions can help get harmful stuff out protect your body and heal damage all the parts of your body that work together to protect you from poisons and harmful germs are called your immune system sometimes we take medicines to reduce the uncomfortable feelings our immune systems create but in general having a strong immune system is a good thing it keeps you safe but when it comes to a peanut allergy well that's a different situation most people can eat peanuts and be totally fine when they eat peanuts their immune systems don't react but for someone who has a peanut allergy their immune system mistakes peanuts for something harmful like poison and the immune system reacts to keep the body safe but peanuts are not poison on their own they're usually harmless so in this case the immune system's reaction is the real problem and for many people with peanut allergies this reaction is much more dangerous than a stomach ache or a cough among other things it can make a person's throat swell up making it hard to breathe when this happens it's important that the person get medical help right away you may be wondering why does this happen to some people and not others and the truth is we're not totally sure some things like having certain medical conditions make you more likely to develop peanut allergies scientists have also discovered that people who are introduced to peanuts at a very young age are less likely to become allergic to peanuts later on but even so some people develop a peanut allergy for reasons that are still a mystery to us it's not fair but it just happens luckily these days we have treatments that can help a person who is having an allergic reaction get their immune system to calm down some people with peanut allergies also take medicine that over time makes their body's reaction to peanuts less less intense these are not cures people with peanut allergies still have to be careful not to come into contact with peanuts and be prepared to treat a reaction if an accident happens but these treatments help a lot a person with a peanut allergy can live a totally normal thriving life they just can't eat peanuts so in summary a peanut allergy is when a person's immune system mistakes peanuts for something that could hurt the body the immune system starts a big reaction and that makes the person very sick there's a lot we still don't know about why some people develop a peut allergy or how to cure it but scientists have made discoveries that can help prevent and treat big allergic reactions to peanuts that's a huge step forward you can help by following rules that help people with peanut allergies see your clear of peanuts also learn as much as you can about our immune systems the more you know the better you'll understand what's going on if you or a friend feels sick our bodies are made up of incredible complicated systems that do so many things and like any incredible complicated system our bodies don't always work the way we want them to so there's so much more to discover about how to help our body stay healthy that's all for this week's question thanks for asking K it's time to cast your vote we picked three questions that we're thinking about answering when this video is done playing click on the one you're most excited to see answered your vote will help us plan for future mini lessons there are Mysteries all around us stay curious and see you next week