Dorothy FarrarSeafood allergy
A seafood allergy is generally part of the seafood allergy. The cause is considered to be the protein compounds of fish and seafood. But an allergy to dust mites can also be causally responsible and lead to a cross-allergy. The treatment consists of a strict avoidance of seafood (and fish in general) in all dosage forms offered. Specific immunotherapy may provide relief.
What is a seafood allergy?
An allergy to seafood is generally a food allergy to all edible marine animals that do not belong to the genus of vertebrates. Addressed are thus crabs, shrimps, lobsters and crawfish. The seafood allergy is declared as a seafood allergy.
Causes
The trigger for an allergic reaction are the protein compounds that are found in the seafood as well as in other sea creatures that enrich our diet. More precisely, the low-molecular muscle protein parvalbumin, which binds calcium, is responsible. The allergy occurs especially in people who live in coastal regions and consume (relatively) a lot of fish and seafood. Residents of the Canary Islands rank first in the statistics. Because the allergens do not become ineffective when heated, the risk of allergic reactions remains.
The experts of the German Society for Nutrition have pointed out that people who are allergic to dust mites often also have a seafood allergy. This cross-allergy arises when the air allergens of the mites are inhaled. Responsible for this is the similar structure of some proteins of house dust mites and the proteins of seafood. If it is known that there is an allergy to freshwater and saltwater fish, an allergy test for seafood should follow immediately. The assumption that there is also an allergy in this respect is obvious.
Symptoms and course
Typical symptoms of a seafood allergy:
An allergic reaction to seafood usually occurs about 30 minutes after consumption. In severe allergy sufferers, even the fumes produced during frying can lead to an allergic reaction. Reactions of the skin in the form of rashes and edema often occur. Also, the gastrointestinal tract is not exempt from allergic reactions. It often rules with nausea, vomiting or diarrhea or constipation, whereby the individual symptoms can also occur together.
Likewise, the respiratory tract is often affected. A runny nose and watery eyes, sometimes in connection with sore eye edges, as well as itchy and red eyes are among the lighter allergic reactions. A stronger allergic reaction of the respiratory tract manifests itself in wheezing arrow breathing, swelling of the throat, as well as pronounced hoarseness and difficulty swallowing. In extreme cases, rhinoconjunctivitis occurs in connection with respiratory symptoms.
In about 30% of seafood allergy sufferers, there is talk of an oral allergy syndrome. This manifests itself in itching and a furry feeling in the mouth as well as swollen lips. Facial swelling as well as headache and/or sinus pain occur concomitantly or as a single symptomatology. Shrimps are particularly allergenic. The mere touch can cause allergic shock or circulatory breakdown in people with a particularly severe allergy to seafood.
Diagnosis
Thanks to advances in recombinant DNA technology, it is now much easier to diagnose gastrointestinal (affecting the Stomach and Intestines ), respiratory (affecting the breathing) and dermatological (affecting the skin) IgE-mediated Food allergies . IgE antibodies are classified as cross-active allergens. This explains why those affected do not only have an allergic reaction to one type of seafood or one type of fish, but in most cases to almost all sea creatures.
Diagnosis is based on a double-blind, placebo-controlled challenge. This is associated with mild to severe side effects. In addition, the Prick Test (Skin Test) is used in vitro to determine the allergens relatively accurately. Fish-specific IgE antibodies can be detected in vivo in the serum of allergy sufferers. In severe cases, these diagnostic methods are combined so that there is sufficient information available for successful therapy with regard to the current allergenic condition.
treatment and therapy
If an allergy to seafood is detected, the only thing that helps in the first place is to consistently avoid fish products of all kinds, both cooked and raw, in order to avoid the unpleasant and sometimes even life-threatening allergy symptoms. This means avoiding fresh seafood, as well as canned, frozen and ready-to-serve seafood.
Fish stock for soups or fish pastes as the basic substrate for the preparation of creams and sauces should also be crossed off the shopping list. Most allergy sufferers who are intolerant to seafood are also allergic to salmon substitutes, crab butter, and surimi .
In the case of medicines and care and decorative cosmetics, people with severe allergies must ensure that neither fish oil nor cod liver oil are processed. When tasting wine or buying wine, make sure that it has not been clarified with fish protein. We recommend expert advice from wine salespeople who know exactly where the wine comes from and how it is made. In extreme cases, allergy sufferers even have to find out whether animals were fed with fishmeal.
Specific immunotherapy is currently the only causally effective and immune-modulating treatment for type I allergy sufferers. The affected persons are fed the triggering allergens in increasing doses in order to achieve desensitization . The organism should therefore get used to the allergens so that the allergic reactions no longer occur in the medium and long term. The risk is always very high, which is why doctors are not happy to recommend this diagnostic treatment.
Research is aimed at modifying the major allergen parvalbumin using recombinant DNA technology in such a way that IgE reactivity and thus biological activity no longer takes place. This derivative would be ideally suited to treat a seafood allergy (or a general seafood allergy) safely and without side effects as part of an immunotherapy.
Prevention
As with all other allergies, the motto for a seafood allergy is: from the crawling age onwards, ensure that the young organism has the opportunity to develop tolerances. As soon as the newborn is about 6 months old, it should be fed with egg, fish, mashed potatoes with a little Milk and vegetables (boiled carrots and kohlrabi ). Also, hygiene at home and outside should never be overdone.
It is quite healthy when children come home dirty from playing around. Normal infections such as a mild cold or cough are no reason to stay home or even stay in bed. Rather, they help the immune system build up step by step into a comprehensive protective shield. Therefore, do not resort directly to pharmaceutical agents that suppress such symptoms. Dear grandma’s home recipes and out into the fresh air, as long as there is no fever.
Hello and welcome to my Health Guide & Encyclopedia! My name is Dorothy Farrar, and I'm the founder and main author of this platform.
My passion for health and wellness started at a young age when I became interested in the connection between the food we eat and the way we feel. This fascination led me to study nutrition and dietetics in college, where I learned about the importance of a balanced diet and the impact of various nutrients on the body.