I have developed a sudden allergy to shrimp last month, although I have eaten shrimp all my life. Why?

I am a total shrimp fan-I don't eat any other types of shellfish. However, last month, while eating shrimp in my soup, my lip developed a tingling sensation and soon, it was extremely swollen. I have tried to eat shrimp after that, but my lower lip swelled slightly. A few days ago, I tried to eat four small shrimp morsels, but nothing happened. Today, a friend told me that she experienced the same allergic reaction last month too. Is it coincidental, or is it an allergy? Has anything been added to the shrimp? If it is an allergy, what suggestions do you have? Many thanks to those who respond!

You may suddenly develop allergies to food you have eaten all your life. Some information on shellfish allergies:

1. Shellfish (shrimp) allergy typically develops in adulthood.
2. If there are toxins in the water where the shrimp lived, you may have had a reaction to the toxin instead of the shrimp. This is becoming more common.
3. Slightly-spoiled shrimp produces a histamine that causes allergic reactions, even if you aren't allergic to the shrimp. The shrimp don't have to taste spoiled for this to happen.
4. People allergic to shellfish should avoid crab, lobster, shrimp, snails, and mollusks (clams and oysters).

As you ate shrimp again later without a reaction, this may have been a reaction to a toxin or to histamines in slightly-spoiled shrimp. Please use caution when eating any type of shellfood; if you are indeed allergic the mild reaction you experienced can suddenly become a life-threatening anaphylactic reaction instead. Source(s): I am in healthcare education.

It's probably because you eat shrimp a lot...but there is gooed news, you can check with your doc, because there are pills out there that you can take if you really want to eat shrimp!
Reaction may have been caused by a combination of the shrimp and some other item eaten.
If you ate it with NO reaction after the time you HAD a reaction...it probably wasn't an allergy to the shrimp, but to something else.

It IS possible to get an allergy after years--I took penicillin for 40 years, then the very last time, POOF--hives 8 inches across all over me!
It could be that you may have cut or pricked your lip with a piece of the shell ,which as a lot of bacteria on it and if it enters the body it can cause swelling you may have even swallowed a very small piece.And as you said the shrimp morsel may not have had any shell on it .
Shrimp are a farmed shell fish and some farms feed different chemicals to feed their shrimp which you may be allergic to.
Next time you get a reaction try and get some of the same shrimp tested to see if all OK
You may even be developing a allergy to shrimp so get tested for sea food allergy to make sure you are not
the mercury content in today's seafood is increased due to so much pollution and contaminants the government allows to be dumped in our oceans. Shrimp scour the bottom of the ocean and feed of scum and feces. I would not eat shrimp if I was hungry for days.