Shrimps: My Allergy Booster
Seafoods scare
I used to like shrimps very much. When the river in our barrio are still teeming with fishes and other aquatic produce, my mother will just sprinkle it with salt and let it dry and turn red orange and proclaimed it as cooked. As an eager child to eat anything, I will savor the rich, unadulterated taste of shrimps together with my order brother and sisters.
I had a shrimp allergic reaction when I was in fourth year high school. My class adviser and science class subject teacher accompanied me to a regional science fair because I was chosen to represent our division when I won the investigative project. So, I brought my science project to the exhibit. During our lunch, I ate a very creamy taro leaves cooked with coconut milk (one of our native viands) garnished with tasty shrimps. I was very hungry then, so I ate the course with white rice without knowing that I will suffer an allergic reaction on shrimps.
Overcooking the meal
Most inexperienced cooks never know the importance of proper cooking. Most of the times, I encountered overcook foods at the bus terminals, in the carenderia (food outlets) and even at restaurants. The freshness of the ingredients, like shrimps, should also be considered.
What the experts say
Shrimp allergy is actually one of the most common types of contact allergies all over the world.
When I first felt the symptoms like: nausea, light headedness and ringing in the ears plus difficulty of breathing I quickly told my teacher about it. We headed to the clinic of the venue school. The resident nurse immediately noticed that my face started becoming puffy and I felt numbness, I told her. There were also redness all over my body (it's not smallpox). I felt itchy in my entire body.including my tongue. She immediately gave me an antibiotic to lessen the effects of the allergy. She also told me that the best first aid for shrimp or seafood allergy is sugar.
Doctor's advise
It is necessary to hear the advise of your family or personal physician about your allergy.
For my shrimp allergy, because I experienced internal itching, I was injected with a liquid Celestamine (about 60 ml). It was only one time and I was relieved with the itching. I refrained from eating shrimps, squids and crab meat to avoid similar allergic reaction. The last occurrence of my allergy haappened this year.
Although, I can still eat with substantial amount of it, I should also watch for my food intake for my health.
Note: Celestamine is also known as Betamethasone, a moderately potent glucocorticoid steroid with anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive properties.
