Why do seafood often cause allergies?

All types of seafood in general can cause allergies, but species such as shrimp, crabs, oysters, squid are the most allergenic.

>>>Prevention of allergies from seafood

Causes of seafood allergies include three types:

1. Because seafood contains many nutritious proteins, there are also 'strange' proteins, when ingested it will be true antigens. These antigens activate the body's immune system causing allergies.
2. Some of the proteins in seafood only act as an inadequate 'antigen - hapten' or antigen. This type of body will combine with the existing 'antigenic decision' group to cause allergies.
3. Because some seafood contain many histamine. This substance when in the body also causes allergy symptoms.

Thus, seafood proteins can be antigens, selling antigens to people with seafood allergies and are normal proteins for the vast majority of people without seafood allergies. Seafood phenomenon with high concentration of histamine can cause symptoms for everyone to eat (phenomenon of histamine poisoning).

For seafood allergies, allergic reactions (especially anaphylaxis) do not depend on how much or how little they eat, but depend on the sensitivity of the individual. Seafood allergies usually happen very quickly, usually only after eating a few hours, there are only a few minutes. The severity of severe or mild allergies varies from person to person.

All kinds of shrimp, crab, oysters . are more allergenic

The most prominent are skin manifestations such as redness of the skin, rash, hives. Nervous manifestations such as headache, dizziness, fainting, coma. Mucosal lesions such as edema of the eye mucosa, nose, mouth. Respiratory symptoms such as sneezing, asphyxia, runny nose, difficulty breathing like asthma, laryngospasm. The gastrointestinal manifestations such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting.

Especially, symptoms of anaphylaxis when there is cardiovascular collapse with shock symptoms such as cold re-skin, small fast pulse, purple veins, hypotension . High cases such as laryngospasm, anaphylactic shock have can cause death quickly if it is not given in time.

In general, except for allergies due to ingesting a type of product that contains a lot of histamine, all people who have been identified as allergic to seafood should avoid eating or coming into contact with foods originating from the sea. product. Even allergies also occur if sharing dishes . containing other people's seafood. Do not eat dead or processed seafood that is not guaranteed because this food may contain high levels of histamine due to infection.

Antihistamines work well with skin and mucosal symptoms such as urticaria, erythema, facial edema, and drugs that can prevent mild allergy symptoms in the skin, mucosa, but not prevent be allergic reactions to anaphylaxis, difficulty breathing if any occurs. In severe cases, patients must be taken immediately to the hospital, not arbitrarily using anti-allergy drugs.