Itchy Conversation

We had crabs that noon. My erpat just caught them from our pond. I burped after eating, unaware that something freaky would startle me a bit later.

After lunch, I rested in our hut and enjoyed a short siesta. But shortly I felt something strange. There was an unpleasant feeling on my skin as if thousands of higads were crawling on by body. I started getting stomach cramps. My entire body itched intolerably and I felt like the pores of my skin were blocked. There were big and thick rashes from my scalp down to the soles of my feet. I managed to gulp a glass of water before my vision blurred. It made me want to scream and plunge into a drum of freezing water. I wanted to feel numb.

http://www.foodmall.org/images/allergyone_985.jpg

I had some allergy attacks prior to that but that one was the gravest. I’m pretty sure that the previous attacks weren’t triggered by food. My previous attacks were caused by airborne pollutants (ano raw).hehe. They call it “dupang” in our dialect.

What I experienced that afternoon was totally odd. I haven’t the faintest idea why my body reacted that way. That was something I haven’t experienced before. And something that I wouldn’t want to happen ever again. After hours of scratching and almost dying of terrible itch, I felt better.

Few days after, I tried eating other seafood. Next on my list was shrimp. I was really surprised when it gave the same effect. The attack even became more excruciating. I hated that feeling.

The most recent attack happened months ago. I had squid for lunch. And it was confirmed. I’m also allergic to squid. Wheew! No crab. No shrimp. No squid. What else am I allergic to? I think I’ll go crazy if I get allergic to bangus as well.hehe

I’m saddened. Really. I love eating those seafood. I now envy people who can freely eat those without fear of being close to death.   

I’m still wondering why my body reacts this way whenever I eat those food. When I had a med exam for my previous company, the doctor asked me if I’m allergic to something. I told her the whole story and she told me some blah-blahs. I forgot everything that she said. hehe.

I caught my blogger friend Ced, a med stude, online the other night. I took the chance to get some answers that could somehow shed light on me.  

(8:15 PM)
BEERO: May tanong ako, dude. Allergic kasi ako sa hipon at crab. Bat ganun? ano possible causes?
CED: Hmmm…Una kasi pwedeng ung una mong nakain na hipon o crab eh medyo spoiled na, yong malapit ng masira.
BEERO: Galing sa fishpond namin kinakain ko. Fresh pa yun.
CED: Teka patapusin mo muna ko. Yong katawan mo natreat un as antigen o foreign body. Natural gagawa ng defense mechanism mo yong antibody.
BEERO: Ok
CED: So kapag kumain ka ng panibagong hipon o crab ung activated antibody mo lalabanan ung kinain mo na hipon o crab kasi tinandaan ng antibody mo ung food na yon as antigenic. oks ba?
BEERO: Oks na oks. LOL
CED: Usually IgE yong antibody mo na naactivate so responsable sila sa inflammatory response mo like ung rash lips mo nangangapal. Ayun nakatulog ka na.
BEERO: Gising pa ko. (sabi mo kasi patapusin muna kita) Oo nga eh. Di ko talaga matiis ang kati.
CED: Kasi yong IgE mo nagrerelease sila ng substances para maellicit yong mga yon as response.
BEERO: Nagtataka ako kasi dati di ako allergic eh. Ano ba dapat kong gawin?
CED: Alam mo yong asukal?
BEERO: (Oo naman). Bakit?
CED: Kapag may atake ka ng allergies, kain ka ng isang spoonfull ng asukal. Di kaya eh inom ka ng honey.
BEERO: Fatal ba ang ganitong allergy?
CED: Oo naman kapag hindi naagapan.  Pwede maglead sa cardiogenic shock yun.
BEERO: Tinatakot mo yata ako eh.
CED: Pero yong sobrang allergies na as in may respiratory o kaya renal involvement
BEERO: Ganun ba?
CED: Oo. Kaya necessary ang first aid.

I hope our conversation on YM helped those who suffer from the same health problem. Thanks to Ced for the free consultation. Always remember, prevention is better than cure. hehe

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Tags: allergy, anaphylactic shock, anaphylaxis, conversations with a doctor, food allergy, health problem

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