Hi Adrienne... Allergies can develop at any time and at any age, no matter how "unallergic" a person was in the past. So yes, it is possible that your mom could now be allergic to shrimp. The tests they usually use to determine allergies are scratch type tests, where a tiny scratch is made in the skin and liquid containing a tiny amount of the allergen is introduced into the scratch. This will give some indication of allergy, although it is not absolutely foolproof. Such tests can only be administered by allergy specialty doctors, called allergists.

It's important to realize that if your mom IS allergic now, each successive reaction to shellfish could be more and more severe. She could even develop anaphylactic shock, so it's not something to play around with.

Talk with her doctor to learn more about your options, OK?

Best,

Kathi