Is iodine the key to seafood allergies?
THE CLAIM: If you have a seafood allergy, avoid CT scans. THE FACTS: Seafood allergies represent the most common form of food allergies in adults, affecting about 2 percent to 3 percent of Americans. But myths about the condition abound. The most prevalent falsehood may be that allergies to shellfish in particular, which account for most seafood allergies, are caused by an intolerance to their iodine content. As a result, many patients who show up at hospitals for CT scans and other X-ray imaging procedures that involve ingesting iodine-containing contrast agents worry about severe allergic reactions. According to studies, the notion is a myth: The allergies are caused by proteins in the animals, not their iodine content. But researchers have found that the myth persists at least in part because doctors help propagate it. One study said the belief was so prevalent that about 70 percent of radiologists and cardiologists who were surveyed said they regularly asked patients whether they h
