What to do in case of allergy to shrimp

Symptoms of shrimp allergy can appear immediately or a few hours after eating the shrimp, swelling in areas of the face such as eyes, lips, mouth and throat is common.

In general, people with allergies to shrimp are also allergic to other seafood, such as oysters, lobster and shellfish, it is important to be aware of the emergence of allergies related to these foods and, if necessary, remove them from the diet.

Symptoms of allergy to shrimp

The main symptoms of allergy to shrimp are:

Itching; Red patches on the skin; Swelling of the lips, eyes, tongue and throat; Difficulty breathing; Abdominal pain; Diarrhea; Nausea and vomiting; Dizziness or fainting.

In the most severe cases, the allergy can cause an overreaction of the immune system, causing anaphylaxis, a serious condition that must be treated immediately in the hospital, as it can lead to death. See the symptoms of anaphylactic shock.

How to make the diagnosis

In addition to assessing the symptoms that appear after eating shrimp or other seafood, the doctor may also order tests such as a skin test, in which a small amount of the protein found in the shrimp is injected into the skin to check whether or not there is a reaction, and the blood test, which checks for the presence of defense cells against shrimp proteins.

How to treat

Treatment for any type of allergy is done with the removal of food from the patient's food routine, preventing the emergence of new allergic crises. When symptoms appear, your doctor may prescribe antihistamines and corticosteroids to improve swelling, itching and inflammation, but there is no cure for the allergy.

In cases of anaphylaxis, the patient should be taken immediately to the emergency and, in some cases, the doctor may recommend that the patient always walk with an injection of epinephrine, to reverse the danger of death in an allergic emergency. See first aid for shrimp allergy.

Allergy to preservative used in frozen foods

Sometimes allergy symptoms arise not because of the shrimp, but because of a preservative called sodium metabisulfite, which is used in frozen foods. In these cases, the severity of the symptoms depends on the amount of preservative consumed, and the symptoms do not appear when the fresh shrimp is eaten.

To avoid this problem, one should always look at the list of ingredients on the product label and avoid those that contain sodium metabisulfite.