Allergies: What Can I Do???

I have a couple bits of advice. My husband's cousin's daughter (did you follow that) had allergies that caused her to get excema on her face as well. They ended up being able to treat the excema with a topical ointment. As for the fact that he is scratching I would see if you could get some of those infant mittens or make some for when it flares up. He is still small enough that he might be able to keep them on. and might be old enough for those to give him the hint. I would call an allergist and a dermatologist though to treat the problem the mittens will only help so much.

J.,

There are a few things you may want to consider. First take the baby to a specialist, namely an allergist. I was a baby that suffered from allergies and after a lot of testing they discovered I was allergic to cow's milk. Second I would start to try to live without harsh chemicals, such as bleach etc. I also was told that rubber is an irritant to sensitive skin. Change the detergent that his clothing and linens are washed in to hypoallergenic/natural products. My mom used to hand wash all of my garments so that they did not mix with other clothing that may have toxins or allergens on them. I know this may seem extreme but one little girl that I met one time that had eczema literally slept on white sheets so that the dyes commonly used in clothing would not touch her skin. Good luck with your situation. Let us know the outcome.

It sounds really weird but have you checked your house for radon? A friend of mine has 2 boys with severe allergies (wheat, peanuts, eggs) and their skin was in a constant state of looking like alligator skin. They invested in anderson water, and creams etc... they were looking for a bigger house and finally were able to move. On a final inspection of their old home, radon levels were high (i cant remember exact figures) When they finally moved, their skin improved sooo much. Also, I think a script from your doctor for a nice emolient creme might help. Restrainment is too harsh, finding the cause is key. I will try to get the names of some of the lotions from my friend, and also ways she tried to get the boys to stop scratching! I hope this might help you!
Take care
J.

Hi J. -

I feel for you. My daughter had allergies very young too. We had to bring her to a dermatologist because of eczema on her face - so bad it bled. He encouraged us to see an allergist. They did a 60 pin prick test on her and discovered she was allergic to eggs, broccoli, peanuts and histamines. She outgrew the broccoli and eggs but has peanut worse and histamines (the outside). She was tested again about 1 1/2 ago and she developed allergies to cats, dogs, feathers. He prescribed a prescription version of Benadryl called Hydroxzinea and that seems to take the itch away. If he develops eczema on his face there are mild steroid creams that can keep it under control. Bring him to an allergist to determine what in fact he is allergic too.

Good luck.

Hi J.,
I am a mom, nurse, and small home business owner.
I would have your son seen by a medical expert first.
I will tell you that alot of "allergies" are caused by environmental toxins, including products found in your home.
My daughter has eczema, an inflammation of the skin attributed to a sensitivity, toxicity, or an allergy. The only thing that has helped her and stopped the outbreaks was changing out my home. I got rid of all the chemicals in my home including laundry detergents, any types of spray cans, dish detergent,
and bathing /beauty products. It is actually how I found my home business. i have seen a tremendous difference, no more steroidal creams or pills, and NO more outbreaks.
Contact me privately for more information, I would love to be able to help you. You can reach me at ____@____.com
A. D.

Does he scratch anywhere else or just his face. Could he be allergic to laundry detergent?

J.,

From what I read it sounds to me like it is something in your home that he is reacting to. Do you mind if I ask where you live? It could be anything from the paint, stain, finish, fabrics, soaps, household cleaners, pets, or even the environment outside your home like fertilizers, mold, or even car exhaust fumes. First talk to your mom, ask her what she uses for cleaners, soaps, lotion, etc., then try matching up what she uses to what you use. If that works great, but if not look at where you live. I know my son was allergic to a lot of different things as a baby and it took us quite a while to figure out what it was. For us Jeffrey was allergic to all fumes, Provolone cheese that came from Italy, and red dyes in juices. He would get so bad that he had to go for nebulizer treatments and be on meds constantly. He is now 19 and while he still avoids fumes, he is a normal adult. Cigarette smoke is the worst, he has to get out of the area or he will need an Albuterol inhaler. To this day he will not eat Provolone, I have tried, our doctor says he probably outgrew it. I hope I am of some help. One other thing, don't restrain your son, that will not help, it will only make him frustrated.
Hugs,
T.

Hi J., my name is jose , my wife and i understand what your going thru right now. but we found a solution that might help you on allergy problems of your kid(s). well this guy who did a presentation about his companies products and we were both amazed what these products will do to our lives. these products you will not see them on big malls or stores. hte company is called carico and they have a website www.carico.com and they have this air purifier product that does a whole lot of protection from all sorts of allergy problems on air aspects. my wife has asthma and i have seasonal allergy and the air purifier really clean the air in our home, you can watch their video regarding the air purifier in the website. you can email us back if you need more info. hope we help you in this matter

joker

HAVE YOU TRIED AN AIR FILTRATION SYSTEM??? IF THAT DOESN'T HELP IT MAY BE SOME TYPE OF UNKNOWN ALLERGEN IN THE SETTING THAT YOU ARE IN WHEN HE STARTS SCRATCHING. LASTLY YOU COULD TRY TO KEEP WHITE GLOVES ON HIS HANDS WHILE YOU TRY TO SNIFF OUT HIS PARTICULAR TRIGGER.I KNOW THAT IT SOUNDS HARSH HOWEVER I HAVE A FRIEND AT WORK THAT IS ALLERGIC TO PLASTIC AND RUBBER AND SINCE SHE DRIVES A SCHOOL BUS SHE WEARS WHITE GLOVES TO DRIVE. LET ME KNOW IF ANY OF THESE THINGS HELP!

First of all, you say nothing about having taken him to an allergist? Have you not? You can't diagnose on your own. It could be a myriad of things and you can't just eliminate things and deem them allergens if he improves. You need to know exactly what is going on. If you haven't done so please take him to a specialist. Secondly, why would you stop breatsfeeding? That is the first thing you should be doing as it greatly helps agains teh propencity to allergies or their severity. Check out askdrsears.com. Their is also a book by Dr. Ehrlich (I think the tittle is) What your docotr won't tell you about allergies. He is considered one of the top specialist in the tri-state area adn has been continuosly named to the Best Docotr's list from N York Magazine (which is also based on a very prestigous organization taht rates doctors). Dr. Ehrlich is my daughter's physician.

Most importantly please go back to breastfeeding and take him to a specialist. Tell your husband to get a clue (I am sorry I don't mena to be disrespectful) but what is he thinking? Restraining a baby? Don'rt do that to yor uchild. It is cruel. He will never understand it and it will gravely affect his emotional development. Why hasn't your husband offered to take him to an allergist instead. Also, a great form of allergy treatment is acupuncture. They do not use needles on babies. My regular pediatrician adn I have discussed it and she agrees with me adn in fact has recommended that I see a hoepathic doctor also. My daughter's allergies can not be identified and may never be bu ttreatment can be less destructive than these very harsh prescription courses taht every one blindly puts their small children on.

Lots of luck. Please take him to a doctor.

Best wishes,
R.

Have you tryied giving him allergy medicine?But more importantly maybe the real cause of his allergies is your water.Often overlooked the cemicals put into the water can cause such irritations.For instance when I went to Florida my daughter got very ill because she was not accustomed to the bacteria in the water.Solution,..use bottled water or well water for a while and look for an improvement.If there is an improvement you know the real culprit and you can look for ways to fix it,i.e.water conditioning or softening.I hope that helps and I wish you luck.

I think restraint is a little harsh. Have you had him tested for mold allergies? Maybe, the problem IS in your house. There are all kinds of things lurking in carpet and behind walls that you can't see. If he didn't scratch when you were camping, he probably isn't allergic to the outdoors, but the indoors. If he didn't scratch at your mother's, maybe she doesn't have the same air quality as you. Take him to an allergist.

Eggs is the number one cause of skin irritation and the scratching can be from a rash you can see or not see. If you back out all egg products - don't forget things like conditioners, pastries with shine, egg beaters, pasta - you might see an immediate improvement.

He could be allergic to the carpeting or dust as well but once you have even a little bit of eczema on your skin, everything tends to itch.

At his age, it could be habit forming as well.

Putting mittens on his hands can help him - you are only trying to protect him from doing damage to his skin.