Among the most frequently occurring food allergies is the shellfish allergy and it happens when people get allergic reaction to several types or alltypes of shellfish. Lobster, octopus, and clams belong to the shellfish. Furthermore, shrimp andsquid are shellfish as well. When one who is allergic to some of these shellfisheats them, he/she gets the symptoms of the shellfish allergy. One should knowthat when he/she is allergic to some type of food, even a tiny amount of suchfood will lead to the allergic reaction.
When one suspects that he/she is allergic to shellfish, it is important to goto a doctor who will confirm it by the means of various tests.
Symptoms of shellfish allergy
When people who are allergic to shellfish eat it even in small amounts, there are several symptoms that may appear almost immediately.
Itching of the skin, as well as hives and eczema accompanied by difficulty inbreathing and nasal congestion are the most common symptoms of the shellfishallergy. Furthermore, wheezing, pain in the abdomen, nausea and vomiting mayalso appear due to the body’s reaction on the shellfish.
Other symptoms of this type of allergy include dizziness, tingling sensationin the mouth and swelling of many parts of the body, especially lips,tongue and throat.
Anaphylaxis is the medical term for a shellfish allergy that rarely occurs, but when it appears, it is a very serious and life-threatening condition. Themost common warning sign of anaphylaxis are swollen throat or a formation of alump in the throat, which makes the breathing very difficult. Rapid pulse anddizziness or loss of consciousness are very likely to occur as well. Furthermore, the person may also experience shock accompanied by a sudden severe drop in theblood pressure. This type of allergy requires immediate medical attention;otherwise, it can be fatal. Anaphylaxis is treated with an epinephrine injection.
Causes of shellfish allergy
The immune system secretes histamines and other chemicals to eliminate the allergens and these chemicals and histamines are responsible for the occurrence of allergic symptoms. An allergy occurs due to malfunctioning of the immune system, whichidentifies certain substances as harmful and as a result of that, it starts tosecrete the antibodies to fight against those substances. When the shellfishallergy is in question, the protein in this type of food is recognized as a harmfulsubstance and the immune system begins fighting against it.
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