Who Gets Shellfish Allergy?
Although shellfish allergy occurs more often in adults and older
children, it can appear at any age and can be caused by foods that
had been previously eaten without any problems. Most people who are
allergic to one type of shellfish are often allergic to other types
of shellfish. Many people with shellfish allergy will not lose the
allergy.
What Are the Symptoms?
Allergic reactions to foods usually begin within minutes to a few
hours after eating the food. The severity of symptoms can vary
widely from one person to another. Mildly allergic persons may have
itching and a few hives while severely allergic persons may
experience severe, life-threatening symptoms such as breathing
problems or swelling of the throat. The symptoms of food allergy
may include any or several of the following:
- Itching
- Hives
- Eczema
- Tingling or swelling of the lips, tongue or throat
- Chest tightness, shortness of breath or difficulty
breathing
- Wheezing
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Fainting
- Anaphylaxis: sudden, severe, potentially fatal, systemic
allergic reaction that can involve several areas of the body
How Do I Avoid Exposure?
If you have a shellfish allergy, strict avoidance of shellfish is
the only way to prevent a reaction. The Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) requires food manufacturers to list common
food allergens on food labels in plain terms to make it easier to
identify the food allergens. Food labels must clearly list eight
allergens which account for almost 90 percent of all food
allergies: cow's milk, soy, wheat, egg, peanut, tree nuts,
fish, and shellfish.
The common allergens are listed either within the ingredient
list or after the list. For example, if a product contains abalone,
a species of shellfish, the product's label should list the term
"shellfish" either after the term abalone, or state
"contains shellfish" after the list of ingredients. The
FDA currently does not require manufacturers to state if the
food was processed in a facility that also processes the 8 common
food allergens.
Anyone allergic to shellfish should avoid the following
ingredients and foods:
- Abalone
- Clams (such as cherrystone, littleneck, pismo, quahog)
- Cockle
- Conch
- Crab
- Crawfish and crayfish
- Lobster
- Mollusks
- Mussels
- Octopus
- Oysters
- Scallops
- Shrimp and prawns
- Snails
- Squid (calamari)
Other things to keep in mind if you have shellfish allergy:
- Fish protein can become airborne during cooking and cause an
allergic reaction.
- Some people may have a reaction from handling shellfish.
- Non-shellfish foods prepared in a seafood restaurant may
contain shellfish.
- Certain foods may contain shellfish such as bouillabaisse,
cuttlefish ink, fish stock, favoring including natural and
artificial flavoring, imitation shellfish, seafood flavoring, and
surimi.
- Be cautious with fried foods as some restaurants use the same
oil to fry seafood as well as non-seafood items
- Allergy to iodine, allergy to radiocontrast material and
allergy to seafood (fish and shellfish) are not related. If
you have shellfish allergy, you do not need to worry about cross
reactions with radiocontrast material or iodine.
How Can I be Prepared?
- Always know what you are eating and drinking.
- Always check the label ingredients before you use a
product, even if the food was safe the last time you ate it.
Manufacturers can change recipes and a shellfish containing food
may be added to the recipe.
- Teach children with shellfish allergy not to accept food from
classmates or friends.
- When dining out, ask detailed questions about ingredients and
how the food was prepared.
- Wear a medical alert bracelet with information about your
allergy or carry an alert card with you.
- Talk with your doctor about how to prepare for a reaction. Mild
reactions may be treated with oral anthistamines. If you have a
severe allergy, your doctor may prescribe injectable epinephrine to
carry with you at all times in case you have a severe
reaction.