Do you get allergy symptoms like itching, watery eyes, wheezing and breathing issues after eating seafood? Unfortunately, seafood allergies can be severe, and an effective food allergy treatment should be your first priority. At our allergy clinics in Atlanta and surrounding cities, we provide exceptional treatment to adults and children with seafood allergies.
What Are the Best Treatments for a Seafood Allergy?
A wide range of seafood can cause allergies. Problem seafoods include cod, tuna, lobster, prawns, clams and shrimp and more. Seafood allergies can occur at any time in a person’s life. This means it’s important to stay vigilant by monitoring any allergy symptoms that appear after eating seafood. At the first sign of an issue, contact your allergist. Usually, one or more of the following treatments will be used to manage and treat the allergy.
Practice Avoidance
To avoid the risk of an allergic reaction, allergen avoidance is the first step. Do not consume or have contact with seafood or items that contain even a trace of seafood products. Remember to consider sources such as cooking fumes and kitchen aromas.
It’s important to note that a shellfish allergy is not the same as an allergy to seafood. The word “seafood” covers the shellfish category, along with other fish such as salmon, cod and tuna. The phrase “shellfish allergy” refers only to mollusks and crustaceans. With shellfish causing many visits to the emergency room, it is important to be aware of the signs of a shellfish allergy.
Medication for Seafood Allergies
Medication may be prescribed for mild allergic reactions to seafood. In most cases, your allergist will recommend antihistamines or corticosteroids to offer some relief from symptoms. And while these medications can help many people with seafood allergies, they won’t help in the case of a severe or life-threatening reaction.
Emergency Treatment for Seafood Allergies
Sadly, an allergy to seafood is one of the most dangerous types of food allergies. Adults and children all too often experience anaphylaxis from eating shellfish (and possibly other types of fish). In the event of a serious allergic reaction, fast action is required to counteract the chemicals released by the immune system. Your allergist will likely provide an epinephrine auto-injector to deliver adrenaline during a reaction.
Desensitization for Seafood Allergies
While previously mentioned treatments largely rely on avoiding seafood, oral immunotherapy treatment (OIT) is a different type of process. OIT is a desensitization treatment that requires patients to consume very small amounts of an allergen until tolerance has been developed. Rather than avoiding seafood (or any other food allergen) altogether, OIT allows the immune system to stop overreacting to the presence of an allergen.
Start Treating Your Seafood Allergy
If you are experiencing allergic symptoms after eating seafood, contact us for professional allergy testing and treatment. Food allergy treatment services are available at Chacko Allergy, Asthma and Sinus Center. We have locations in Alpharetta, Atlanta, Canton, Cumming, Druid Hills, Duluth and Johns Creek. To reach us, call (678) 668-4688 or request an appointment now.
