Has anyone tested their kids for allergies?

Myrtis - posted on 01/14/2010

I have a son who is allergic to milk protein (1 1/2 yrs.) and another who has severe excema (3 1/2 yrs.).

My allergist doesn't recommend the broad testing for many possible allergies because there is a high chance of getting false positives and that makes you avoid things unnecessarily.

She doesn't recommend this broad approach no matter the age. She does however recommend specific testing for suspected allergens that your child has definitely been exposed to and had an adverse reaction to.

So there are a few things you should do.

1) if you get any kind of weird reaction immediately after injestion or exposure to something (say dust, pollen, food) then you should have your child tested for that as soon as possible, don't wait until the next time he is exposed because reactions get stronger with each exposure and can lead to medical emergencies
2) the pin prick tests are really not that bad, my son has been tested three times so far and he has never cried, it's one of those tests that sounds much worse than it is
3) the relationship between excema and allergy is not 100% clear, one does not always mean the other, you should also seek the help of a good dermatologist, my dermatologist has been much more helpful in my second son's case than my allergist

Good luck.

Toni - posted on 01/14/2010

Abby my son is 19 months old and we have had the allergy scratch test two times. He was on nutramigen formula for his first year and he suffered with lots of stomach issues. He also had excema. The test was very hard to do and I cried right along with him. I am so thankful we did it. He is severly allergic to peanuts and a slight allergy to egg and tomato. No milk allergy. If you have a great set of nurses to help it really goes fast and the pain is just during the time they scratch the allergy. I wish you all the best in your decision.

Erica - posted on 01/12/2010

I recently had to bring my daughter to the emergency room after having a horrible allergic reaction to honey nut cheerios at her daycare. Couple weeks after she had the blood test done to see what she was allergic too. Surprisingl everything came back negative, we were referred to an allergist but the thought of the "scratch test" makes me cringe. Try the blood test first and see how that goes. Hope this helps

Erin - posted on 01/12/2010

I went through the allergy testing in college. One type involves giving a series of injections of slightly stronger doses---the other is scratching the skin with the allergen and waiting like 5-10 minutes to see what reacts. I can't imagine a toddler sitting through that especially if you are looking at alot of different possible allergens. Just because you have an allergy to something doesn't necessarily mean your child will. They will likely inherit some allergy, skin issue, or breathing issue but if you are allergic to nuts doesn't neccessarily mean they will--they might be allergic to eggs or dogs or have asthma etc. I think careful observation and introduction of new foods or possible allergens and eliminating suspects might be easier at this age but the allergist can tell you the risks versus benefits for your child way better than any of us could

Kimberly - posted on 01/12/2010

I remember taking my son to a specialist and she told me that they could test but it was best to wait till at least age 5 because he may have allergies that wouldn't show up until then. My son was 3 at the time. The eczema may possibly be helped with a slight change in diet. I don't know how that would work, being a baby and all but I've heard some foods can cause things like that. I'd look into it or ask your doctor.

Brittney - posted on 01/11/2010

it could be a food allergy. my daughter also has excema. since she was only 8 months old when i discussed this with a naturopath - and therefore hadn't had many real foods yet - i got tested for food allergies instead (the elisa test). i found i was allergic to eggs and dairy and a few other things. my daughter is probably allergic to the same things, so we cut those things out of her diet (she drinks goat milk, which is much closer to breastmilk) and added probiotics, and the excema has mostly gone away.

Lindsay - posted on 01/11/2010

We are almost in the same situation. Our boy has had exzcema for the longest time and has even broken out in hives before. We haven't been to an allergist as we were told by our family physician that they wouldn't test him until he was three. So we avoid all shellfish (even me since he still nurses), dairy (through the process of elimination, we figured out that cheese was causing David to get really itchy) and eggs (we tried them one day and he broke out in hives!). We even avoid all nuts, just in case.

We have children's Benadryl for when he gets really itchy/hives and as far as his exczema, we keep him well hydrated and keep his skin moist (vaseline after bath, Aveeno exczema care lotion during the day). We don't use fabric softener, dryer sheets and we don't use any laundry soap with perfumes/dyes.

I don't know what you could try for his sinus issues, maybe a dehumidifier could help some. I've heard that sometimes mold can cause sinus issues, but it wouldn't be much of an issue if you have a newer home. Maybe certain trees or shrubs in your yard. This past summer, my son merely brushed up against a sumac tree and within hours, he had weeping sores on his legs.



Oh my goodness, the list of possible allergens could go on and on, though I'm sure you've probably gone over that list too!



Good luck and keep us posted on what happens.