Manifestations of allergic reactions to food are characteristic of many. Various types of fish, seafood, caviar are products that often contribute to unpleasant symptoms. Allergies, as a rule, begin to bother a person in childhood.
Causes of the appearance of pathology
There is an allergy to fish in both a child and an adult. However, it happens that in childhood the disease did not disturb a person, but manifested for the first time when he tried an unfamiliar dish, which contains seafood. A fish allergy is characterized by the occurrence of many different symptoms, and they are sometimes so serious that the patient requires urgent specialist advice.
Why does this disease arise?
Allergies to fish in a child and in an adult can be triggered by the following reasons:
- The presence in this product of a special protein, which is perceived by the body of many people as a harmful substance. As a result, allergic reactions occur. This component, which is part of the fish, is not destroyed either by cooling or by cooking.
- The presence in the marine delicacies of chemicals that enter them from contaminated water. Also, allergic reactions can be caused by additives that feed artificially grown fish.
- When seafood stays in refrigerators or on shelves for a long time, toxic substances accumulate in them. Toxins persist even in salted and smoked dishes and lead to allergic reactions.
- Microorganisms and helminths that live in the intestines of fish have a harmful effect on the body.
Which seafood are the most allergenic?
Intolerance to a product, as a rule, does not appear suddenly. An allergy to fish in a child usually makes itself felt at an early age. When a foreign protein enters the body, the immune system begins to produce special cells.
This process is accompanied by the appearance of symptoms, many of which are very serious. Fortunately, knowing how an allergy to fish manifests itself in a child can prevent its occurrence. For this, it is necessary first of all to exclude the patient’s contact with the product that causes intolerance.
Cases of fish allergies in children and adults are becoming more common every year. Specialists for a long time studied this problem and finally found out why this disease occurs. It was also possible to establish which types of marine delicacies most often cause allergic reactions. Often, individual intolerance provokes the following products:
- Butter and cream with added fish.
- Different types of mollusks.
- Crayfish, crabs, shrimp.
- Aromatic additives containing fish and seafood.
- Crab sticks.
- Caviar.
- Dishes of Japanese cuisine.
- Acne.
- Most species of marine fish.
As a rule, individual intolerance is found in people living near the sea, where such dishes are often eaten. It must be borne in mind that, having arisen in childhood, an allergy usually accompanies a person throughout life. In this case, as a rule, individual varieties cause a negative reaction of the body, while others are well tolerated. Often there is an allergy to red fish in a child. Therefore, doctors do not recommend giving these varieties to children.
Types of allergic reactions
An allergy to fish, its symptoms in children appear in the following circumstances:
- If the child eats a product that causes individual intolerance.
- When he touches a dish that provokes an allergic reaction.
- If a child inhales a molecule of a substance that causes individual intolerance.
Sometimes allergy symptoms appear even when the patient takes food fried in the same oil on which the allergen dish was previously heated.
How to determine the presence of allergic reactions? First of all, they are characterized by symptoms that are immediately noticeable externally. The manifestation of a fish allergy in a child (photos of children with external signs of such an organism reaction are presented in the text below) is described in the sections of the article.
Common symptoms
Intolerance to any product may be felt by the occurrence of a complex of symptoms. Skin, airways, and eyes also suffer from it. General weakness appears. Allergies to fish in a child and in an adult are characterized by the same set of common symptoms, for example:
- The appearance of rashes like blisters on the chest, upper legs, in the neck and abdomen.
- Feeling itchy.
- Irritation of the mucous membranes of the oral cavity during chewing and swallowing a small portion of seafood.
- Signs of poisoning: vomiting and diarrhea.
- High fever, headache.
If a person has such signs of an allergy as an accelerated heart rate, pallor, decreased blood pressure, a feeling of weakness and loss of consciousness - this is anaphylactic shock. This condition requires immediate medical attention, as it can lead to death.
Allergy to fish in a child: a manifestation
Any mother knows that fish and seafood play an important role in the development of the child's body. Such dishes must be included in the diet of the child, because they contain many useful substances. These vitamins and minerals contribute to the formation of immunity, harmonious development. However, given that allergies to fish often occur in very young children, parents need to be careful when adding such foods to their baby’s food.
How to recognize the presence of the disease? Allergies to fish in a child manifestations have the following:
- In infancy, eating a product that causes intolerance leads to swelling of the face, the formation of skin rashes in the form of blisters, and vomiting. Such symptoms require immediate medical attention. As a rule, with such manifestations at an early age, the use of fish is strictly prohibited. The necessary substances that it contains are recommended for the child to be obtained from artificial additives.
- In addition to rash, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, childhood intolerance to fish in childhood is characterized by symptoms such as coughing, sneezing, and runny nose. If there are signs of allergic edema (swelling of the face, rapid breathing, high fever and pallor), an ambulance should be called.
- Sometimes children have intolerance to feed intended for aquarium fish. However, such reactions of the body may not be too serious and often disappear after seven to eight years.
An allergy to fish in children (photos of babies may discourage mothers who are too responsible for seafood) is a serious matter and requires careful study of the issue.
What should I look for?
Signs of intolerance to a substance are different. It depends on how the patient interacted with the allergy-causing component. The ingress of fish into the gastrointestinal tract can provoke symptoms of poisoning, allergic edema, skin rash. When tactile contact with raw seafood or inhalation of molecules during their preparation is often an inflammation of the connective membrane of the eyes, excruciating tearful cough, flow from the nose and high fever.
About the same reactions occur in children with intolerance to fish food or when interacting with water from an aquarium. This is due to inhalation of substances that provoke these symptoms. Often there is an allergy to red fish in a child. Manifestations of intolerance also occur when various types of caviar, shellfish, and crustaceans are eaten.
It is highly recommended that children often be given smoked and salted fish. Firstly, it causes the most severe allergic reactions due to the presence of artificial additives in it. Secondly, such dishes negatively affect the digestive system and kidneys of the child.
How to diagnose allergic reactions to fish in children?
It is possible to determine the presence of intolerance to any products in a medical facility. The specialist will prescribe examinations that will establish the presence of an allergy to fish in the child.
First of all, special diagnostic tests are carried out. They are called allergy tests. However, today more effective diagnostic methods are offered for children. These are laboratory blood tests.
If the child has signs of an allergy to fish and seafood, parents should remember which dish provoked negative reactions of the body. Having determined this, you need to ensure that this food is excluded from the children's diet.
Therapy
If allergic reactions are detected, the most important thing is to abandon the use of the product that provoked them. Particular attention should be paid to this condition if the intolerance of the dish was manifested more than once.
Symptoms of a fish allergy in a child can be eliminated with antihistamines and medications that relieve inflammation. If the negative reaction of the body manifested by a runny nose or conjunctivitis, local preparations (ointments, sprays, nasal drops, gels) should be used. In order to remove the substance that caused the allergy as quickly as possible, absorbent agents are used. In case of allergic edema, injections of synthetic hormones are necessary.
Additives with fish: precautions
Specialists in the treatment of childhood diseases advise to follow certain rules in order to protect the child from allergic reactions.
First of all, complementary foods with fish should be included in the diet gradually and only when the baby is eight months old. First give small portions of the product (1 teaspoon).
It is recommended to feed the baby with fish in the morning and watch his condition throughout the day. In case of deterioration in well-being, urgent help of a specialist is necessary. A child suffering from dermatitis should be introduced into the diet with extreme caution.
It is important for parents of older children with intolerance to seafood to monitor what their child eats in catering establishments. You must also carefully read the composition of products that are sold in stores. An allergy to red fish in a child is a fairly common occurrence. Doctors do not recommend giving such varieties to infants up to a year.
What kind of fish can children have with allergies?
This issue is considered controversial. Knowing about the beneficial properties of fish, many mothers believe that this product should not be completely excluded from the diet. Unfortunately, intolerance to certain dishes can only be established empirically. It is known that red fish, caviar, shellfish and crustaceans are not recommended for children. However, cod, haddock, pollock, hake and herring are considered non-hazardous and rarely cause allergies.
If any varieties are contraindicated for the child, you can replace this useful product with others. The necessary substances that are contained in fish are part of meat, buckwheat, nuts, mushrooms, vegetable oil, beans. You can also give your child vitamin complexes.
conclusions
Manifestations of an allergy to fish is a pathology that is often found in both adults and children. The most common cause of intolerance are marine species. Also strong allergens are seafood (shellfish, crustaceans). Substances causing intolerance are not removed from dishes during their heat treatment.
Allergies can occur not only as a result of eating fish or seafood in food, but also when inhaling their particles and tactile contact. To avoid unpleasant symptoms in a child, you must carefully monitor his diet.
If there are signs of allergic reactions in children, a doctor’s consultation and therapy are necessary.