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Sulfate Allergy Vs. Sulfa Allergy

Allergies affect millions of people every day. Many have allergies to compounds related to sulfur, but each allergy is very different.

  1. About Allergies

    • Someone with allergies has an overactive or oversensitive immune response to certain allergens. The immune system attacks the allergen with excessive histamines.

    Sulfur

    • Sulfur itself is an element, essential to life and present in the human body. No one is allergic to sulfur.

    Sulfur Allergens

    • Sulfur compounds serve as the basis for other compounds, such as sulfa, sulfites and sulfates. These derived compounds can serve as allergens.

    Sulfate Allergies

    • Sulfate is a polymer; it is made of potassium or sodium and sulfate. These do not cause allergic reactions. However, if prepared from shellfish, the shellfish could contaminate a sulfate supplement.

    Sulfa Allergies

    • Sulfa drugs, or sulfonamides, can attach to proteins when metabolized. This larger molecule, which is a drug-protein complex, is what causes sulfa allergies.

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