Shellfish Allergy
What happens when the world is your oyster and you are allergic to shellfish - Neil Leckman
image by: Shrimp Allergy ฅนแพ้กุ้ง
HWN Suggests
Shellfish allergies: can they be treated?
Seafood platters? Bouillabaisse? Arroz de Marisco? Seafood paella? Oysters Rockefeller? Lobster Thermidor? Dining out with friends, a romantic meal, celebrating Christmas or a holiday on a wind-swept coast with these seafood dishes on your table are enjoyable moments.
But have any of you, your friends or family experienced swelling of lips or eyelids, itchiness and rashes developed over your face or body, or even difficulty in breathing just a few minutes after eating shrimp, lobster, crab, clam, mussels, oysters or scallops? If yes, you could well have a shellfish allergy.
What is shellfish allergy?
Shellfish allergy is a type of hyper-immune response…
Resources
Are the Number of Adults with a Shellfish Allergy Increasing?
Is the prevalence of this food allergy changing over time? Does it affect some groups of people more than others? Can you get a shellfish allergy later in life? The answers to these questions can raise awareness and spur further research to understand this important public health issue.
Overcoming Shellfish Allergy: How Far Have We Come?
The prospect of a “cure “for shellfish allergy is within reach.
Sinister Shellfish
It is possible to be allergic only to crustaceans, the class of shellfish that shrimp belong to, and not to all members of the other class, mollusks, which includes oysters and clams. But it may not be worth the risk of eating them to find out, allergy experts warn, because of the severity of most shellfish allergies, and because allergic people are usually allergic to both classes.
Doctors Surprised by Scope of Adult-Onset Food Allergies
New research shows nearly 11% of U.S. adults have food allergies, more than many expected, with shellfish most common among adult-onset ones.
Not all shellfish "allergy" is allergy!
Shellfish is one of the major food allergens and its consumption is increasing worldwide. It is important to distinguish between shellfish allergy and toxicity as their presentations can mimic each other. Tropomyosin has been identified as the major allergen in the shellfish family and is responsible for the majority of the cross-reactivity observed.
Shellfish Allergy is Not a Shell Game
It is a myth that shellfish allergy means it is unsafe to receive iodine dyes. If you have a shellfish allergy, you can most likely safely get radiocontrast medical procedures, unless you have a separate allergy to them.
The Claim: If You Have a Seafood Allergy, Avoid CT Scans
According to studies, the notion is a myth: The allergies are caused by proteins in the animals, not their iodine content. But researchers have found that the myth persists at least in part because doctors help propagate it.
Shellfish allergies: can they be treated?
Unlike allergies to egg and cow’s milk for which children often gradually acquire natural tolerance, shellfish allergies usually persist throughout life. Shellfish is the leading offending food in the United States, Canada, Portugal, and in the Asia-Pacific regions, including Hong Kong and Taiwan. A multi-centre survey conducted in Europe, on the other hand, reported 4.8% of adults with IgE sensitisation to shrimp and in some areas like Zurich, the sensitisation rate can be up to 7%.
Allergist
Fortunately, shellfish is an ingredient that is rarely “hidden” in foods. Shellfish may be found in fish stock, seafood flavoring (for example, crab extract), sushi and surimi. Crustacean shellfish is one of the eight allergens that fall under the labeling requirements of the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004.
FAACT
Crustacean shellfish allergy is one of the 8 most common food allergies.
FARE
Shellfish allergies are the most common food allergies in adults and among the most common food allergies in children. Shellfish allergies are usually lifelong. About 60 percent of people with shellfish allergy experience their first allergic reaction to shellfish as adults.
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