He had broken his shell in front of the French. After being pinched for having organized a celebratory meal lavish when he was chairman of the national Assembly, François de Rugy, mine severe and indignant tone, provided on BFM TV that he’s not eating lobster because he had ” an intolerance to shellfish and seafood “. However, if the allergy to shellfish is a pathology that must be taken seriously, because it can in some cases lead to death, according to dr. Luc Colas, allergist and immunologist clinic at the university hospital of Nantes, intolerance to shellfish does not exist (except in rare cases, if it is an intolerance to the dyes present on the lobster). To The Point, dr. Luc Colas examines the pathologies that can be caused by shellfish.

The Point : François de Rugy explained that he didn’t eat lobster because it is ” intolerant to shellfish “. This pathology does it exist ?

Luc Colas : there is intolerance to lactose or shellfish. There are people who vomit when they eat oysters or whelks. But intolerance to lobster, it doesn’t exist. Except in rare cases. Lobsters can be colored, via additives. Some of them can cause an intolerance.

Either, but can you be allergic to lobster ?

Yes, shellfish can cause food allergy by ingestion, when people come into contact with steam of cooking or by direct contact. In the following hour, 20 minutes after, on average, a generalized reaction can occur. The skin becomes irritant, difficult breathing. There may be a crisis of asthma and Angioedema : this is swelling of the vocal cords causes an inability to breathe. There may also be nausea and vomiting. The person may fall in the apples and make a cardiac arrest. It can be anaphylactic shock. It is one of the major shocks lethal.

In a tweet dating back to 2012, François de Rugy boasted taste of the spiders of the sea. Is it a crustacean ?

It is a crustacean like crab or lobster. Therefore, when one is allergic to crustaceans are also allergic to spiders of the sea. It is important not to eat it !

What to do when the first symptoms occur ?

In case your allergy is known and that you have been exposed because someone has not told you that there was an allergen in what you have ingested, you need to be equipped with an emergency kit. If this is not too serious, that it scratches, you can take an antihistamine. And ventoline if you have any breathing difficulties. When it is severe, you need to do an injection of adrenaline. Often, patients do not dare to use the pen of adrenaline. But, if you feel that it does not get better, it is necessary to do so, you never know. And there are very few side effects. If your allergy is not known and you have these symptoms, or if you do not have an emergency kit, it is necessary to call 15 immediately.