Do you enjoy eating seafood?  Many people love to eat seafood, but some have an allergy
to shellfish.  This shellfish allergy issues is serious business and should not be taken
lightly.  Even the slightest amount of shellfish or shellfish oils can prompt a shellfish
allergy reaction.

What types of food have been found to cause a shellfish allergy?  Shellfish include: 
abalone, clams, crab, crawfish, crayfish, lobster, oysters, scallops, shrimp, cockle, sea
urchin, and mussels.  Any or all of these shellfish can cause a shellfish allergy.  This
shellfish allergy is widespread among adults.

How can you tell if you have a shellfish allergy?  Common symptoms of a shellfish
allergy include wheezing, constricting of throat, and swelling of the face and air passages. 
This can lead to anaphylactic shock.  When this occurs you need to use an epinephrine
shot to stop the attack. 

What can a person with a shellfish allergy do to avoid allergy attacks?  The number one
way to avoid another allergy attack is to avoid shellfish altogether.  This is most easily
achieved at home when you control exactly what you eat and how you cook it.  However,
you need to be more careful when dinning out.  Verify that there are no shellfish
ingredients or that the meal is being cooked in shellfish oils.

What shellfish causes the most allergies?  Shrimp is the number culprit when it comes to
shellfish allergies.  Be careful when eating fried foods as well because the oil may have
shellfish parts in it.  Also be weary of eating food that has been prepared in the same dish
or touches the shellfish on a plate.

It is better to be safe then sorry, so look for even the slightest shellfish contamination. 
Avoid using the same cutting board for shellfish and other foods.  Shellfish oils can seep
into the cutting board and cross contaminate any other foods that are prepared on that
cutting board.

An interesting thing to note about shellfish allergy is that some people have a slight
allergy while other allergies can be deadly.  For example, one individual may have a
minor skin rash when consuming shellfish while another can become disoriented and go
into anaphylactic shock.  An allergic reaction to shellfish can be avoided if the proper
precautions are taken.

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