Hi Everyone,
I have a 4 1/2 year old boy who has had allergies in the past. He was never diagnosed with asthma, but he has taken Albuterol, Singulair and Pulmicort in the past. He is no longer on these medications. He is taking 1 tsp of fish oil every day and doesn't need any other medication. (Fish oil is a natural way of treating allergies/asthma)
However, he has complained that his tush hurts occasionally. And he has had a bright red ring around his anus. (He also has mild eczema.) Could this be a food allergy? I've been trying to track what he eats to see if I can figure it out. Last time he got the red ring after eating something that had almonds in it. But it happened again tonite and I can't think of anything that he ate that could've done it. (cheerios for breakfast, pizza for lunch and peas for dinner.) Any thoughts?
WOW! Thank you all so much for your feedback! I've got a lot of work to do! I'm going to try to write everything down that he puts in his mouth for 2 weeks to see if I can pinpoint anything. And then we are off to the allergist to get tested for food allergies. (or food intolerances, as it may be.) Thank you all again.
Sounds like food intolerance. http://www.webmd.com/allergies/guide/foods-allergy-intole...
They can do tests at the doctors to find out if he is allergic to anything, however food intolerance is much harder to diagnose. www.milksucks.com Good Luck.
I noticed someone responded that they thought is was the fish oil. As a nurse I can tell you, we reccommend that people take fish oil to lubricate the bowels, so I do not think it is the fish oil. My child is two and I notice if I feed her foods that are too acidic she gets red on her bottom or if she has loose stools. I would maybe also consider a parasite in the stool???? is he maybe itching?? www.livegreeneasy.com
Hi L.,
My son has a peanut and almond allergy. We caught the peanut allergy early when he developed a red ring around his mouth when trying peanut butter. The almonds we found out through the allergist. Anyway, you said he might be allergic to almonds, were the cheerios honey nut?? they have almonds in them! I see people giving them to little ones all the time...i never realized they had almonds until i checked due to my son's allergy. I would see an allergist to be safe.
Actually, this could be fungal. I would try using something like Lamisil AT cream on the area to see if it goes away. If it itches, put the Lamisil on first, then some Cortaid. My son had this when he was younger and this was the solution to his issue.
M.
Is it possible he could be allergic to other nuts? I have a friend allergic to peanuts and nuts. Peanuts being a legume, are related to peas and chick peas, etc - she has to avoid them too, in fact all legumes, as well. I thought I'd mention it because it caught my attention that he had peas for dinner.
How frustating when your child suffers and you can't figure out why. How smart you are to find a way to get him off allergy meds! My son-also 4.5, has gone through this too and we've used many, many alternative methods, but no one ever recommended fish oil! I can't wait to try it. Which kind do you use?
I'm sure you know all this, and for me, avoiding products that say 'fragrance' on the label cleared up eczema. For us, we found that things like toilet paper, kandoo type wipes, bath products, all laundry products, bathtub cleaners, even convential 'diaper rash' creams...ALL were fragranced. Once we switched to simpler products (and cheaper too!) things got better. For personal care there are plenty of choices - jojoba oil, shea butter, apricot oil, avocado oil, emu oil. Castile soap, vinegar, baking soda, etc. Like our great grandma's did.
Best wishes!
L.
You might want to get a book from your library about children's food allergies. One strategy is to do an elimination diet, ridding his diet of one food at a time until the symptoms go away. The most common food allergies in kids are milk, soy, eggs, peanuts, and wheat.
I am dealing with something similar. It can take a long time to track the root of the problem. I feel for you and your son. Good luck.
Hi L.. Good for you to use the fish oil. My son also had allergies and was on similar medications. He also had sensitive skin, but never developed eczema. About 3 years ago I started shopping with Melaleuca. They provide everyday household products that are non-toxic and they don't use any harsh chemicals. Most of their products contain tea tree oil. Since I started using their products my son's allergies and skin sensitivity has gone away. I am happy not to have him on medications any more. If you want more information on how you can shop with Melaleuca, you can email me directly.
Your son is a lot older than mine was, but when he was a newborn, he had the same exact thing. It turned out when I ate almonds (he was breastfeeding exclusively), he got that red ring on his bottom. When I cut out almonds, he was fine. He did grow out of it though and loves almonds now, I just slowly added small amounts of almonds back into my diet to tolerize him to the nut. Any other nut seemed to be fine! Don't know if this helps, but for me, it was the almonds.
My son (4) was previously on the Rx's listed above some of which everyday 2-3 times a day. I decided to stop only providing him with this as needed. I think its the fish oil....how many time does he have bowel movements? I noticed that when my son gets a common cold and/or during allergy season he needs something the most. How about your son?
A red ring around the anus in conjuction with itching or irritation can be pin worm. It is no big deal, at this age parents are encouraging their kids to wipe themselves and they NEVER totally get their hands clean. This is how it is spread at school and day care. It is treated with a pill now and one in two weeks. It goes away relatively easily and like I said...it sounds gross but it is no big deal!
