Advice on 1Yr with Possible Indoor or Seasonal Allergies???

Sounds like a classic allergy response. My son has numerous food allergies (dairy, soy, wheat, eggs, seeds, nuts... on and on...) and several seasonal allergies. He gets the dark circles now and then. It is really hard to narrow down the allergies since we are exposed to so much. Try to get an allergist appointment to get skin testing and any other immune system overview. It is not an exact science by a long shot... false positives and false negatives, but at least it gives you a starting point. There is a great pediatric and adult allergist at Newton-Wellesley Hosp: Dr. Anne Wang-Dohlman.
And despite it being a marketing plug, the other responder is right... cleaning products are often culprits. (I might call her now!)

I personally have dairy issues and have the dark circle problem - I was told by a doctor that dark circles are usually a dairy allergy. But I don't know if that is true for kids.

Hello L., One common possibility that Moms have told me about is a reaction to your cleaning and/or laundry products. Many of the products we have all purchased in the market contain serious toxins that affect us and our children. Just in case this is the culprit, you might want to try some non-toxic products. Laundry products such as Tide, and many other detergents, as well as fabric softeners and dryer sheets contain dangerous toxic ingredients. Then your child is directly exposed to them as his clothing is touching his skin, and he is lying on the sheets and putting his little face on the pillowcase, etc. You may want to simply check this out as a possibility by switching to all non-toxic products. I happen to be a Shaklee Distributor so I sell Shaklee's non-toxic products and would be happy to speak with you and answer all your questions. Shaklee has a money-back guarantee if you are not satisfied with their products - just contact them within 60 days of purchase. I invite you to go to my web site (www.emilytaft.com)to read more about our Get Clean products which include products for your laundry, kitchen and bathroom or go directly to a segment on these products at www.shaklee.net/emilyt/getclean - I can also send you a Get Clean DVD, if you are interested. I am not soliciting you, L., but rather am responding to your request for possible reasons for your son's indoor allergies. This is very common for children with sensitive skin to react to your laundry products that contain dangerous toxins. He could also be reacting to your tub and tile cleaner, toilet cleaner or perhaps you use Fabreeze, which is full of toxins. I can't tell you how many Moms have been shocked but ecstatic to see children's (and adult's) allergy issues (runny noses & eyes, etc. as well as rashes) disappear when they switch to Shaklee's cleaning products. Please contact me if you care to -- E. Taft ###-###-#### ____@____.com

Perhaps it is another food allergy. I have heard many stories of eczema or other skin changes, as well as dark circles/lines under the eye with wheat and gluten sensitivity. One gluten rash I have heard described as red welts appearing almost like cigarette burns. Gluten intolerance/celiac is difficult to test for, except for by trial of elimination. As the other responder noted, dairy is also a common cause.
Good luck!

HI L.;

I have a 5 year old boy who has milk, egg, apricot, peanut, coconut allergies as well as eczema since he was about 6 mos. This is definitely the season where the eczema comes out due to the change in weather etc. The dark circles are most likely due to the fact that the poor thing is scratching in his sleep and therefore never actually getting a good nights sleep. What I do, and have done for some time now is, have the humidifier going every night about an hour before he goes to bed and let it run all night while he sleeps. After bathing I douse him with a thick coat moisturizer and I only bath him after school, he goes 2x a week to preschool and when he really get filthy in the yard etc. In the interim I usually give him sponge baths and slather him generously with moisturizer nightly. A child with eczema does not nor should be bathed every day as it dries the skin out. Any dermatologist will tell you the same. Also we did a little test of our own and came to the conclusion that our son can only wear 100% cotton clothing, and bedding, anything that touches his skin directly has to be cotton or he doesn't wear it. This has definitely helped us keep the inflammations at bay.

Hope that helps.
Good luck!

My daughter had a rash similar to that as well that developed at about 8-10 months, our pediatrician had no suggestions either. I stumbled upon a company online that has all naturally derived cleaners, soaps, shampoos...toothpaste...just about anything you can think of that you usually buy at the grocery store or walmart, and we completely converted our home...and her rashes disapeared.
I later brought her to the drs and the pediatrician asked me what I had done differently that had it clear up and I told her and I had brought with me the children's body wash and lotion that i now use instead of diaper cream, and she looked at them to tell me that it didnt contain this one chemical...that most bath and body and other products for adults and baby's contain...that most babies are allergic too! and anyone with sensitive skin! soo, it helped alot for us...got most of the nasty things out of the house and everyone feels better! Plus...no risk of accidental poisonings or anything as well which makes me feel better when i clean.
I can get you the name of the company and info if you would like, just send me a message!

My first thought was also a gluton allergy (celiac disease). I dont knowmuch about it but when my daughter first got sick, I did a lot of research and celiac disease was one of the things I came across. It turned out my daughter had a milk allergy. But some of her symptoms were vomitting, diarrhea, cough, runny nose, and a slight/ occasional rash caused by the allergy.

Hi L.! My son has the same issues. He is now 5yr. He has several food allergies, so i would first be sure others have been ruled out (including celiac disease-inability to digest gluten). Once you've done this, then I would look into the season allergies. My son has allergies to most tree pollen and grasses, so things are worse for him at different times of the year. I find when he is stressed or immune supressed (ie,getting a cold), the circles under his eye worsen for a bit, I think it is his body just reacting.
So I would start with an allergist that specializes in children. Allergist are also immunologist, so you are covering 2 bases with one visit so to say!
Good Luck!!!!!!! Wishing you all well!

See if you can get a referral to a pediatric allergist.

My 18 month old had a rash like that and it turned out to be from a dairy allergy. Eczema in babies and toddlers is generally related to dairy so if he hasn't been tested for it you may want to consider it.

Hi there:

My 4 yo has peanut/treenut allergy, any advice I could give would be contact NH ALLERGY ASSOCIATES in POrtsmouth or Rochester. We love Dr Duell! She is the best. We have undergone an non-food alelrgy testing trees,cats,dogs,dust mites. As well as a RAST test for an array of nuts. Dr Duell really listens to your concerns, and also gives feedback, hope you are in the NH area they are GREAT

Hi L.: I think many pediatricians are not comfortable with what to do when something comes up outside of the realm they are used to. Listen to your instincts and if you think something is up, consider an appt with a pediatric allergist or a pediatric naturopath. Naturopaths are often more willing to probe and uncover underlying issues.

Hi L.,

I don't know if youv'e found anything that has helped your son but if not I also have found a website that sells mostly natural products that have really helped others with allergies, skin problems, asthma and so many more health issues. If you're interested check out my website www.themomteam.com/elaina719 & leave your info so I can contact you.

could very well be food allergies. keep a log of what's eaten etc., for a week or two, and note if there are any changes with the rash or under eye color. good luck.