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Do I have a shellfish allergy?
Asked about 1 year ago - Seattle, WA
I'm 29 and have eaten shrimp (along with every other kind of shellfish you can image) my entire life with no problem.
Recently I've begun cooking shrimp myself, and I've noticed that when I'm handling raw shrimp to peel and clean them, my fingers get red, swollen and itchy. This only happens when I handle the raw shrimp. However, when I eat them, I don't notice any reaction whatsoever.
What's going on here? Is this a shellfish allergy?
Doctor answers (1)
You could have what is called contact urticaria, hives/swelling on contact with things including foods. This is likely allergy to a protein in the shellfish, either in the shell or the meat itself. Its possible you have allergy to dust mites which could be causing you symptoms on handling shells of raw shrimp but no reactions with eating cooked shrimp. Majority of allergic reactions to shellfish starts in "adult life", so this could be a start. Recommend that you talk to an allergist to test for allergy to shellfish and dust mites. Can this progress to a more generalized reaction, anaphylaxis, symptoms including vomiting, diarrhea, difficulty breathing cannot be predicted at this time. If testing is positive you may not need to consider eliminating eating shellfish.
