Shellfish allergy is one of the most common types of allergies. This allergy can be caused due to all types of animals that have shells including, clamps, lobster, shrimp, octopus, shrimp, etc. Shellfish allergy can range from mild to severe, however, many a times these allergies are mild and can be treated with over the counter medications. If you suffer from life-threatening allergic reaction it would be the best to avoid shellfish all together.
Shellfish allergy can affect adults as well as children. In case of children it is necessary that you avoid the food all together so that it does not trigger any reaction. It is also advisable that the doctor be consulted immediately after you notice the first allergic reaction. Timely treatment for this allergy might help in avoiding any aggravation in the condition.
Some of the common allergic reactions to shellfish consumption are hives, abdominal pain, swelling of facial features like lips, face, tongue, wheezing and congestion, dizziness, losing consciousness, etc. Usage of antihistamines is might help in reducing all the shellfish allergy symptoms. Antihistamines help in providing you relief and in controlling allergic reaction. In case you suffer from severe allergic reaction to this food, it is better that you keep an epinephrine injection with you at all times.
Incase of children suffering from this allergy, it is better to let the teacher and school authorities know of this allergy, so that the child can be treated immediately, it would also be better if you give clear information about the allergy to your child.
You may or may not be allergic to all types of shellfish. Sometimes the allergic reaction is triggered only when you eat a certain type of shellfish, this reaction might occur every time you consume particular type of shellfish and not all shellfish.
There are several methods that help in diagnosis of shellfish allergy, these are the skin test, here your skin is exposed to small dose of proteins found in shellfish, after your skin has been pricked. If you are allergic the skin might give a bump which shows you are allergic if the bump does not appear that means you are not allergic.
Blood test measures response of antibodies to proteins in shellfish these antibodies are called immunoglobulin, the test results are derived after analyzing in labs to measure whether the blood has the antibodies which may trigger a reaction to proteins in shellfish.
Warning: The reader of this article should exercise all precautionary measures while following instructions on the home remedies from this article. Avoid using any of these products if you are allergic to it. The responsibility lies with the reader and not with the site or the writer.