Sulfate Allergy Vs. Sulfa Allergy
Allergies affect millions of people every day. Many have allergies to compounds related to sulfur, but each allergy is very different.
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About Allergies
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Someone with allergies has an overactive or oversensitive immune response to certain allergens. The immune system attacks the allergen with excessive histamines.
Sulfur
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Sulfur itself is an element, essential to life and present in the human body. No one is allergic to sulfur.
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Sulfur Allergens
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Sulfur compounds serve as the basis for other compounds, such as sulfa, sulfites and sulfates. These derived compounds can serve as allergens.
Sulfate Allergies
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Sulfate is a polymer; it is made of potassium or sodium and sulfate. These do not cause allergic reactions. However, if prepared from shellfish, the shellfish could contaminate a sulfate supplement.
Sulfa Allergies
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Sulfa drugs, or sulfonamides, can attach to proteins when metabolized. This larger molecule, which is a drug-protein complex, is what causes sulfa allergies.
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