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Got an ache or pain? Have a question about a prescription or over-the-counter drug? Looking for some FREE medical advice?
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Question:
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| Up to 30 years of age i have seen that i can eat anything on earth but sea insects, namely shrimps, lobster, crab,... If i even get some of these in my mouth, a burning and itching sensation first covers my lips, then goes deep inside my ears and back to my throat almost paralysing it. On the other hand I am completely fine with molluscs for example. I think it is some sort an allergy against some pigments or enzymes present in these insects. 1)Is there this type of allergy in literature? 2)Is there any testing methodology which will discover such sort of allergies? 3)If this ends up to be an allergy, is there going to be any treatment for it, to enable me back to shrimp/grasshopper eating?? tks.
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Answer:
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| Thank you for your inquiry. This allergy is well known in the medical field. According to studies, it is believed that up to 250 000 people suffer from this allergy in the USA for example. It is noted in the literature that you can have allergies to some types of seafood but not all seafood. Skin tests can be done to confirm that you do have this type of allergy. During a skin test, different types of seafood extracts are put on tiny areas of scratched skin. This is done by pricking the skin with a small needle through a drop of the food extract or by using a pricking device that has been presoaked in the food extract. Only the top layer of skin is pricked. The test is usually done on the back or arm. The skin test is ready to check in about 15 minutes. If you are allergic to one of the foods, a red bump that looks like a mosquito bite will appear at the spot where the food extract was placed. Of note, this test should be done by an allergist in a setting where it is possible for the doctor to treat you if you start have having respiratory symptoms for example. There is no treatment at this time that will allow you to start eating these "shrimp/grasshoppers". You should therefore abstain from eating this type of food. You should however consider discussing with a doctor the zeed to carry adrenaline. The symptoms you are describing when you eat these types of food could be very dangerous. Imagine if your throat started to swell up and block the air from going to your lungs. On the basis of symptoms you are describing, this could be possible for you. Adrenaline available in self injections could save your life. I would therefore highly recommend for you to see a doctor to discuss the need for adrenaline. Hope this helps.
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