Adult-Onset Shellfish Allergy

Food allergies strike adults as well as children.

A recent column in the Washington Post highlights food allergic adults of which there are an estimated 12 million in the United States, alone.

With so much (deserved) attention focused on the dangers facing food allergic children, it’s easy to forget about adults who face the same types of dangers. In fact, only a quarter of the total population of food allergic individuals are children.

There are a few basic differences between common food allergies in children and those in adults including:

  • The most common food allergies in children tend to be milk, eggs, soy, wheat, peanuts and tree nuts.
  • The most common food allergy in adults is shellfish.
  • Unlike children, adults are unlikely to outgrow their allergies.

_Another frightening aspect of adult allergies to shellfish is that they can strike out of the blue in individuals who had never experienced food allergies. Often, these reactions are among the most severe. Typical allergic reactions to shellfish allergy resemble other food allergy reactions: swelling throat, blurred vision, numb tongue, hives, and trouble breathing.

To those who experience a first-time allergy reaction to food, Scott H. Sicherer, an associate professor of pediatrics at Mount Sinai’s School of Medicine and medical advisor to the Food Allergy Initiative, advises, ‘Don’t just go home and take a bath because it might get worse. If your reaction is severe, call 911 or get to the emergency room.

He also recommends a visit to an allergist to confirm a suspected allergy and receive guidance about avoiding the offending food. Food avoidance is a ‘big, life-changing’ task that isn’t always as simple as it might seem.

Adults with food allergies should always carry an EpiPen in case of exposure. EpiPens buy valuable time before medical attention is received. Food allergy cards are also useful in communicating food allergies especially when dining out.

Scientists are at work determining what causes adult-onset food allergies. One clue, according to Robert Wood, author of Food Allergies for Dummies and chief of pediatric allergy and immunology at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, is that many individuals who are allergic to shellfish are also allergic to dust mites or cockroaches. These three allergens share a common protein, tropomyosin.

As researchers forge ahead in studies that may eventually yield food allergy vaccines, food allergic individuals must continue to take every precaution to keep themselves safe. For more information on what causes a shellfish allergy and more, visit our Learning Center and our Food Allergy/Anaphylaxis Solution Guide.

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