Will The Ocean Kill You If You’re Allergic To Seafood?

When thinking about the multitude of ways in which you could get murked by the creatures of the ocean, the first things that come to mind might be a shark attack, a jellyfish sting , or maybe even a blue-ringed octopus bite. But can you be betrayed by your own immune system instead?

“If I’m allergic to seafood, can I still scuba dive?” asked TikTok user toriyokii . “Or is there like fish juice and I’ll go into anaphylactic shock under the ocean?”

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Having racked up 36,000 saves on the platform as of the time of writing, it appears to be a question a lot of people are curious to know the answer to – and a valid curiosity during the time of year when many are jetting off to a summer vacation by the sea.

Luckily, you don’t have to worry that you’ve wasted your money on a snorkel and goggles if you’ve got an allergy to seafood, whether that be fish or shellfish .

The ocean might be a bit fish juice-y, but it’s unlikely to be concentrated enough that it would cause your immune system to produce a life-threatening response simply by being in the water.

“You can swim in the ocean if you have a shellfish allergy,” board-certified allergist Dr John M. James told the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America’s “Ask the Allergist” Service . “It will not typically cause an allergic reaction. This is because the dilution factor of relevant allergens is so significant. This means that the amount of shellfish allergens in the ocean water is very low.”

More typical triggers for an allergic reaction to seafood would be eating it (hopefully you’re not necking raw fish as you swim, although who are we to judge), inhaling vapor from it being cooked, or touching it.

The latter can be avoided by suiting up. “If you’re wearing protective gear, you are not likely to have skin contact fish or shellfish to have some type of irritation,” explained board-certified allergist Dr Zachary Rubin in a video responding to the original.

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Even if someone’s skin does come into contact with fish or shellfish, Dr James said that reactions are usually “very mild and found on the exposed skin.”

In any circumstance, scuba diving with a seafood allergy doesn’t seem to have caused anyone any trouble so far, at least not as far as scientists have found.

As Dr Rubin explained: “There are no reported cases in the medical literature, as far as I’m aware, of people scuba diving going into anaphylactic shock because they had a history of a seafood allergy.”

That means swim to your heart’s content – but for those with shellfish allergies in particular, don’t turn to cicadas for a post-scuba sesh snack.

The content of this article is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of qualified health providers with questions you may have regarding medical conditions.