Shellfish Allergies

Allergic reactions to shellfish are one of the more common allergies both in children and adults. If you do discover that you have an allergy to shellfish you would probably be best to stay away from all types of shellfish as the other types are likely to cause you problems too.

Unlike some other allergies a shellfish allergy should not be too difficult to manage with care over your diet. Anyone who has to avoid peanuts might find peanut oils and extracts in all types of different foods but shellfish is most likely to be found in seafood dishes. It is probably wise to avoid seafood restaurants if you have a shellfish allergy since there may be cross contamination of other dishes and some people may react to shellfish cooking vapours in the air.

For most of us a simple explanation of the term, allergy is that it is something that the body has an adverse reaction to if that material, or allergen, comes into contact with your body.

When your body comes Into contact with an allergen by eating or merely touching something, in some cases, there is an allergic reaction in your body. Your immune system is hyperactive towards this material and your immune system activates to try to control what it sees as a
threat to your health.

In many cases this would be the right thing to do but in cases of allergic reaction to things that cause no problem for other people the immune system may cause damage and even death in it's attempts to protect you. Your immune system may release antibodies in an attempt to deal with the allergen and may release histamine into the bloodstream, which, in milder cases, may cause you to get teary-eyed with runny nose.

Severe cases of anaphylactic reactions might lead to restrictions of the air supply due to swelling in the throat with the consequent serious risk to health of the sufferer. You should always have suspected allergic reactions checked out with a qualified doctor to help prevent a serious allergic reaction to shellfish or any food or natural product at a later date.

An allergic reaction to shellfish can, but by no means always, lead to an anaphylactic reaction with symptoms such as a tingling sensation, itching and a metallic taste in the mouth. There may also be wheezing and difficulty breathing, coughing and a swelling of the throat. It can be serious and medical attention should be obtained from a qualified doctor.

If you have experienced what may be a an allergic reaction to shellfish you can get tested by an allergy specialist to establish if you are allergic or if it was just some bad shellfish you ate.
Treatment with medication may be helpful to deal with the effects of an allergic reaction but cures are less likely and while research continues into all types of allergy treatment an allergy cure seems unlikely since your body is reacting to a food intolerance.