Shellfish Allergy Symptoms

Shellfish allergy is one of the most common food allergies.

The symptoms can include tingling in the mouth, Hives, swelling in the lips and tongue and nausea or nasal congestion, breathing difficulties, wheezing and vomiting as well as diarrhoea and pain in the abdomen.

The good news is that usually Shellfish allergy is not found in children the bad news is that Shellfish allergy is usually for life!

So what counts as Shellfish?

Two groups of animals count as shellfish – molluscs or mollusks which includes oysters, clams and mussels and crustaceans which includes shrimp, lobster and crabs and perhaps surprisingly octopus and squid.

What Can I do?

Well you might think that cooking shellfish thoroughly is a way to destroy the allergy causing protein but it has no effect, so avoidance is the only way to be safe.

And even if you avoid shellfish, eating other food prepared in a seafood restaurant may cause difficulties for a sensitive individual. Even a tiny amount of an allergy causing food in cooking oil for instance may trigger symptoms. So even if you had some French fries cooked in a seafood restaurant traces of shellfish could cause a problem.

Surprisingly tiny traces carried in the steam of cooking shellfish may be enough to cause an allergic reaction in a sensitive individual!

If you are unsure if your symptoms were caused by an allergy or by food poisoning then consult your Doctor and see if a blood test or allergy test would be helpful.

The most severe reaction is called anaphylactic shock and occurs with a rapid constriction of the airways and a dramatic drop in blood pressure leading to a state of shock and possibly death unless almost immediate emergency care is given.

Consequently your Doctor may advise that you carry an injectable epinephrine (such as an EpiPen) and an Alert bracelet.