Content
Fish is a product for everyone. Some prefer river fish, others sea fish, others do not tolerate this product at all. And the fourth is allergic to fish.
If you still like this product, you should be aware of some specific points. We will talk about the allergenicity of this product.
We will also get acquainted with the dangerous proteins that make up fish:
- parvalbumin;
- aldolase and anolase;
- scombrotoxin.
If you are wondering if fish causes allergies, this article will definitely be useful to you.
We will look at what a fish allergy looks like. This will help you quickly recognize the problem and take action. It is also not superfluous to talk about the diagnosis and treatment of allergies, if the diagnosis is confirmed.
Diagnosing a fish allergy
Diagnosis - an allergy to fish can appear in your card only after a thorough examination by an allergist and a laboratory study of your blood at the molecular level, a prick test.
- Parvalbumin is a protein that causes an allergy to seafood . Its level does not decrease during cooking at high temperatures or, on the contrary, freezing fish products.
- Another equally dangerous protein is scombrotoxin. From the name it is clear that this protein is highly likely to be found in the mackerel family. It provokes the release of histamine in the body, which entails sad consequences in the form of an allergic reaction. Under the ban, species such as mackerel, anchovies, herring, blue and king fish, sardine and tuna.
- Andolase and anolase. These proteins are found in salmon, cod and tuna. Without going into medical details, let's say that laboratory studies have shown the presence of these same proteins in chicken wings. This was the impetus for the discovery of a new syndrome: fish-chicken. This is another example of cross-allergy .
Attention: there is no parvalbumin in caviar, so you can safely treat yourself to a fish delicacy sandwich.
So the doctor sent you for a blood test.
The tests will show what exactly is causing your immune system to react: a protein found in fish, or something else. Sometimes it is very difficult to identify the allergen that causes violent rejection by your immune system. But medicine does not stand still, new ways and methods of diagnostics appear, and, perhaps, soon humanity will be freed from an ailment called allergy. But back to treatment.
After tests and analyzes, competent treatment will be prescribed in the form of taking antihistamines. An experienced doctor will definitely recommend an allergy sufferer to keep a food diary in addition to taking medications. It is needed in order to be able to track the reaction of the body to a particular product.
You will be interested in the fact: there is an allergy to the smell of fish. Having enjoyed the smell of a fish dish and not even having time to taste it, an allergic person may feel unwell and discover the first symptoms of an allergy. So keeping your nose downwind is not always helpful. The fish has a very persistent smell when cooked. And the sense of smell, as you know, is very important for an allergic person, as well as for a healthy person. Taste buds do not work without a sense of smell, which is why with an exacerbation of allergies, we lose the opportunity to taste a particular product. Due to the debt of the nose, it is not possible even to smell it.
Symptoms of a fish allergy
- Nasal congestion, runny nose.
- Signs of suffocation, difficulty breathing.
- Swelling of the mucous membranes of the nasopharynx and eyes, possibly fever, chills.
- Sore throat, bouts of coughing.
- Loss of smell.
- The appearance of a rash on the skin, redness on the cheeks, itching of the body.
- Anaphylactic shock, Quincke's edema (with a severe form of allergy).
You should call your doctor immediately if you feel unwell and have the symptoms listed above. If you do not take action in time, it may be too late. Unfortunately, people who do not know anything about allergies do not know how to provide elementary first aid to the victim before the doctor arrives. And these precious minutes can help a person rid the esophagus of the allergen, causing an attack of vomiting. So it will be easier to cleanse the body of fish protein that is harmful to humans.
Fish allergy treatment and diet
First of all, fish dishes should be excluded from the diet for a while. After a few months, when the course of treatment has already passed, you can slowly introduce the product in small doses. But very carefully so as not to provoke a chronic allergy to fish. Patients with an allergy to fish are shown a strict diet, which implies the exclusion of smoked meats, pickles, cheese, chocolate, rolls and sushi, the restriction or exclusion of alcohol.
Prescribing antihistamines is a serious step. The choice is huge: Suprastin, Claritin, Telfast, Zirtek, Tavegil.
The doctor will also select for you ointments and / or creams for external influence: Lokoid, Elokom, Advantan and others. Please note that these ointments are steroid. They relieve inflammation, but can affect the hormonal background in general.
Nasal sprays are indispensable in some cases. Vibrocil and Zodak, Zirtek and Nasobek. Pharmaceutics offers a wide range of sprays. They must be selected individually.
Another step in the treatment of fish allergies is to cleanse the body. The digestive system also needs help. Means such as Enterosgel, or White coal, Smecta and activated carbon will help here. These products will cleanse the intestines of allergens and dangerous toxins.
Which fish is more dangerous?
Allergy to marine fish is most often diagnosed in those people who often eat it. Restaurateurs offer a huge selection of dishes cooked in different ways: grilled, grilled, with all kinds of sauces, fried and boiled. Appetizing-smelling food attracts both by smell and appearance, but you, as an allergy sufferer, need to be on the alert. Note that the level of dangerous protein in different types of fish is different: for example, in mackerel it is one hundred times less than in carp and herring, and this protein was not found at all in tuna. However, tuna is a marine predator, and its diet includes smaller aquatic inhabitants, which may also contain parvalbumin.
Protein isn't the only thing to blame for fish allergies. Man himself had a hand in this, polluting rivers and lakes with salts of heavy metals, pesticides and other chemicals, and there is life there. The person began to add growth stimulants, which also affected the occurrence of allergies. Marine fish suffer less from human actions, and therefore the reaction proceeds more calmly.
Are children allergic to fish? Undoubtedly! The mechanism of its course is even more complicated than in adults. Therefore, in the schedule for the introduction of complementary foods, this product is introduced one of the last. But fish, as you know, is rich in useful minerals and trace elements, it is a source of calcium and phosphorus, which are necessary for the formation of the baby's skeleton. Therefore, it is by no means impossible to deprive a child of fish for preventive purposes. It is necessary to give small amounts of fish for testing and follow the reaction. This is done with any product that is new to the child's body.
An allergy can make itself felt quite unexpectedly, so read the labels carefully, follow the composition of the products served in restaurants and cafes, be careful with the choice of food in the supermarket. Your health is in your hands.
