Sulfide Allergies

A sulfide allergy could start with simple irritation and might end up with high fever and vomiting.

Sulfides are present in almost every hygiene product on the market. They are used in shampoos, conditioners, bar and hand soaps, toothpaste, detergents and many other products. In the pharmaceutical industry, sulfide is used in the preparation of tablets, ointments and other medicinal products. Sulfides are also added to many processed food products and beverages as preservatives. Because sulfides are used in almost everything in day-to-day life, a great number of people are prone to sulfide allergies. A sulfide allergy could start with simple irritation and might end up with high fever and vomiting.

Symptoms of Sulfide Allergy

The primary symptom of sulfide allergy is itching on the skin. You can often confuse this with other allergies. Nevertheless, it increases with rashes and gives a burning sensation. These things are also generally present in other allergies, but in this case it gets worse as swelling develops on the throat. There can also be terrible fatigue in your muscles. This might increase the amount of friction in your body movement.

A Few Alternate Symptoms

There are other symptoms as well. You might not be able to concentrate on many things. You may also have brittle nails if you are suffering from sulfide allergy. There are certain hidden symptoms about this allergy that you should note. To differentiate a sulfide allergy with other allergies, there are a series of steps taken during diagnosis. A proper diagnosis should be done if there are any signs of sulfide allergy.

Sulfide Allergies

Several health issues such as breathing irregularities, asthma and respiratory problems can appear due to sulfide allergies in many people. The chemical sodium metabisulfite can cause severe sulfide allergic reactions. Allergists recommend drugs containing sodium metabisulfite be taken orally (called oral challenge) to assure that no allergic reaction occurs. Sodium metabisulfite also helps in diagnosis of sulfide allergy. This involves giving patients a calculated amount of sulfides to swallow and closely monitoring the drop in lung functions and other vital functions of body.

Precautions for People

Patients diagnosed with sulfide allergy should avoid food and medications containing sulfides. People should consume products labeled with sulfide contents less than 10 parts per million. Patients should eat fruits and vegetables containing low sulfide levels. Severe allergic conditions may require treatment with epinephrine that should be used intravenously.

Prevention

There should be limited exposure for people working in industries that use sulfide ores. At such places, strict guidelines should be followed. Although there have been very few cases of people being drastically affected by this allergy, you should take necessary precautions to avoid from the ill effects of sulfide allergies.

References

• BetterLife: Sulfite Food Allergies
• Web MD: Allergies and Sulfite Sensitivity