How to Get Tested for a Shellfish Allergy

Shellfish allergies are on the rise, according to the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology (AAAAI). As more Americans incorporate exotic seafood into their diets to replace meat and potatoes, the number of allergic reactions to seafood has increased. Interestingly, people who are allergic to shellfish can generally eat fish. Within the shellfish category, you have mollusks, such as clams and oysters, and crustaceans such as lobster and shrimp. People allergic to mollusks are not necessarily allergic to crustaceans. When eating out, the challenge is to ensure there is no cross contamination of the foods the restaurant cooks. Japanese steak house style cooking, according to AAAAI, can cause aerolization of allergens as well as cross contamination.

Instructions

• 1

  Start a food diary. Note the food you ate and the time between eating. Describe the reaction, what you did to counteract the reaction and whether it was successful. Note if anyone else got sick, how much you ate and how the food was prepared. Present this information, which is invaluable to your physician, at your appointment.

• 2

  Go on an elimination diet. If you had a reaction to lobster, eat fish and see if you have the same reaction. If you don't, eat lobster again and see if the reaction returns. If the reaction returns, it confirms the shellfish allergy. Don't do this if you have a severe reaction such as anaphylactic shock, which causes difficulty breathing and could lead to death if untreated.

• 3

  Get a scratch test from your doctor if the above steps indicate a likely allergy. A skin prick test can determine if you are allergic to shellfish and what type. It cannot be given if you have severe reactions such as anaphylactic shock.

• 4

  Get a blood test if you can't have a scratch test. The National Insititute of Allergy and Infectious Disease recommends your doctor run one of three blood tests, RAST (radioallergosorbent test), CAP-RAST or ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). All three will reveal how much food specific IgE is in your blood. IgE is an allergic antibody in your blood.