Tag Archives: allergies

Confession: I Overlooked a Suspected Allergen In an Ingredient List

Posted by Jennifer in Allergies and tagged with , , , , , , , , ,

I feel really lucky at this moment because I made a mistake, a HUGE mistake. Thankfully, Tristan is ok.

A little background:

We think Tristan has an allergy to almonds. He used to drink almond milk daily and was incredibly itchy. After stopping the milk, the itching stopped. So, now, as far I as I know, he hasn’t had almonds for about a year. No, I take that back, he tried a bite of yogurt made from almonds the other day (completely dairy free) and he got a little pink around his mouth, so he didn’t have any more. I avoid almonds now because I just don’t know if he could have developed a more severe reaction to them, like he did with dairy not long ago. Blood and skin testing was always negative, like most everything else – even for his anaphylaxis to dairy.

Back to the present:

He’s been eating these crazy healthy gluten-free snacks for several months now, from ShaSha Co. They’re organic, raw, vegan, with no added sugar, and contain prebiotics. Just a really great product. He eats a few here and there for “dessert,” but doesn’t eat them religiously.

shasha_snacks

Yesterday I got a new bag out and checked the ingredient label like I usually do for a new package of a favorite food item. Just wanting to make sure the company didn’t add anything new and unwanted in the item.

And what did I read in the ingredient list? Almonds! What??!!! I snatched the bag away from Tristan and quickly explained that mama made a mistake and these snacks may actually contain almonds. He was totally fine. Didn’t make a sound of protest. I guess his only anaphylactic episode is still to recent and at the top of his mind.

Surely, this company has just recently added almonds to their snacks. I would have clearly seen almonds in the ingredient list before. I am SO careful!

I take a bite just to see if they taste the same to me. Hmmm…they taste exactly the same. Adding almonds probably would have given them a slightly different taste. And they sure do look the same.

At that point a big, hard, rock started to form in the pit of my stomach. I emailed the company and asked them if they’d recently added almonds. They quickly replied and said, no, always contained almonds.

Oh man. Wow. I missed it……what if Tristan had a reaction?!

MAJOR Mom Guilt!

But…he didn’t have a reaction. He’s been eating a little bit of almonds for months now apparently and without reacting. But, I don’t feel safe testing almonds on him at home anymore, so we’ll wait and talk to his new allergist about it. No more Sha Sha snacks for now. Hopefully we can do an in office food challenge and see how it goes. I’d love to be able to give Tristan almonds from time to time. Unlike most his other allergens, almonds are actually healthy and I hate that he’s missing out on them.

So, lesson learned. We make mistakes – as hard as we try not to – it happens. I am certainly humbled by this experience and am thankful everything turned out ok.

Now it’s your turn, confession time. What colossal mistakes have you made in regards to your child’s health? Please don’t tell me I’m the only one that put their child at a HUGE risk…..

It’s time to get it off your chest. Trust me, it feels good to confess :)

When Allergies Attack: Asthma and Allergies in America, an Infographic

Posted by Jennifer in Allergies, Asthma and tagged with , , , , ,
If this infographic proves anything, it’s that you are not alone in your  battle against allergies and asthma. I thought this was too good not to share.
Enjoy!
Asthma & Allergy Infographic Infographic authored by Oransi LLC. To view the original post, check out the original Asthma & Allergy Infographic.

Book Review: “Healing the New Childhood Epidemics – Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies”

Posted by Jennifer in Allergies, Asthma, Eczema, Reviews and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

I’ve had a number of eczema and food allergy parents recommend a book to me. “Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies – The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders” by Kenneth Bock, MD and Cameron Stauth. Let me first say that I’m not one to sit down to read any sort of non-fictional book. I’ll admit that I much prefer fictional novels that carry me to a far off world or to another reality. But, I decided to make an exception with this book as it was so highly recommended and it speaks to alternative treatment methods for health conditions that affect my child. So, I put down my copy of Divergent (which was AMAZING) and reluctantly picked up my first ever medical book and set to filling my brain with knowledge.

To my surprise, I really enjoyed it. The book follows the stories of a few families that Dr. Bock treated in his upstate New York practice, while also explaining how the board certified physician came to view autism, ADHD, asthma, and allergies (known as the 4-A epidemics) as being related and treatable, in many cases. The book touches on eczema enough to note that it is often linked with asthma and allergies, so treating one will certainly help the other. From the many cases he’s studied and patients he’s helped treat, Dr. Bock believes that half of all children are susceptible to developing autism, ADHD, asthma, and allergies. Half?! That’s A LOT of children!

The following are factors Dr. Kenneth Bock believes influence a child’s susceptibility to developing one of the “childhood epidemics.”

  • Genetic predisposition.
  • Illness during a vaccination.
  • Acceleration of the vaccination schedule beyond the norm to compensate for missed vaccinations.
  • Taking an antibiotic at the time of vaccination.
  • Exposure to environmental toxins, in combination with the vaccination toxins.
  • Exposure to toxins in utero.
  • Nutritional deficits, or excesses.
  • Exposure to other viruses and bacteria.
  • Presence of other health insults, including candida problems and allergy.
  • A family history of autoimmunity and allergies.

With this extensive list, it’s obvious why so many children are susceptible. Dr. Kenneth Bock discusses the 4-A’s in his book, but I’m going to focus on his views on asthma and allergies in this review.

Asthma

We all know inflammation triggers asthma, but, Dr. Bock points out that many things seemingly unrelated to asthma could trigger inflammation and an asthma attack. Chronic infections like candida/yeast, foods such as dairy and gluten, and exposure to heavy metals such as mercury lead, aluminum, etc, all can be asthma triggers.

Allergies

Dr. Bock states that we all get allergies because of three factors:

  • Nutritional – vitamin and mineral deficiencies, unhealthy gut, lack of essential fatty acids, intestinal hyperpermeability (intestinal walls become too porous, also known as a leaky gut), stomach acid and digestive enzyme deficiencies, too much refined/processed food, and poor eating habits.
  • Immune – immune overload, overactivity of Th-2 cells, antibiotic overuse, hygiene hypothesis (we’re too clean), and vaccinations
  • Inflammatory – distant inflammation (inflammation in the gut causing inflammation in the airways), food (especially those high in saturated fats and ow in essential fatty acids), vaccinations, stress, and infection.

The Healing Program

Dr. Bock is quick to mention and repeat that “there is no one, single approach for all children.” He has a multi-step approach to healing, which is tailored to the unique needs of each child, but he provides a general guide to this program in the book. I’ll just mention the highlights here. He recommends working with a DAN (Defeat Autism Now) doctor, but any medical physician who is open to conducting these tests and listening to your concerns as a parent, would be a great asset for healing your child. I’ve just embarked on this journey with my son, Tristan, and I’ve turned to an integrative MD who is very naturally minded, but still medical board certified (an excellent combination I find).

Please remember that this is just an abbreviated list of items in the healing program. Please read the book to see a full list and speak with your physician before embarking on the program. And keep in mind, this is not a quick fix, slap a band-aid-on it approach. A program like this could take years to complete as it is all about healing your child from within.

Here are the components of the Dr. Kenneth Bock’s Healing Program.

Testing

Tier One: These are general tests which Dr. Bock  recommends in all cases. They consist of basic body chemistry profiles and are routinely performed by most doctors. Some examples are liver and kidney function, electrolytes, calcium and magnesium levels, and thyroid function.

Tier Two: Nutritional and metabolic tests that are generally recommend for most patients. Some of these tests are not routinely performed and may require the evaluation of a doctor who is experienced in nutrition and integrative medicine. Some examples include: mineral counts, urine organic acids, essential fatty acids, and digestive stool analysis. Dr. Bock almost always recommends IgE and IgG food allergy and sensitivity testing.

Tier Three: These tests will only be applicable in certain cases and will be up to the discretion of the attending physician. Each child’s unique signs and symptoms will help the physician determine which tests are right for your child. Some tests in this category are: Immune testing (IgA, IgM), lymphocyte subsets, vaccine titers, thyroid antibodies, and PANDAS profile.

Tier Four: The lest stage of testing, not all patients will need these and they will usually only be done as treatment progresses, not initially. Tier four testing includes, but is not limited to urine testing for heavy metals, urinary porphyrins, and genetic polymorphisms.

Nutritional Therapy – Several diets have proved extremely helpful to many of Dr. Bock’s patients. It may only take one diet or a combination of many to see any changes in your child. According to the book, the diets most beneficial for children with autism, ADHD, asthma, or allergies are:

  • Gluten-Free, Casein-Free Diet (Dr. Bock has seen a 60% improvement in autistic symptoms with children on this diet. He also finds it very helpful for those with ADHD and asthma. He generally recommends this diet for all children with autism, ADHD, allergies, and asthma)
  • Specific Food Reaction Diet (eliminating any known food allergies or sensitivities)
  • Anti-Yeast Diet
  • Anti-Hyperglycemia Diet (eliminating sweet, sugary foods and high-starch foods)
  • Specific Carbohydrate Diet
  • Low Oxalate Diet

Supplementation Therapy – Dr. Bock has ranked the recommended supplements into tiers based on how commonly they are needed by children with autism, ADHD, allergies, and asthma. But again, this isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach, so not all children with asthma are recommended to take the same supplements, for example. It depends on each child, their history, and test results.

Tier One: Basic nutrients needed to thrive, commonly found in multi-vitamins. Recommended for most children.

Tier Two: Some are basic nutrients and some are more specialized and are tailored to each child. Examples are digestive enzymes, melatonin, and Iron. 58% of autistic children in the healing program saw an improvement in their digestive issues when taking digestive enzymes.

Tier Three: These supplements are only for certain children and are generally only recommended after the child has been on the healing program for some time. Some examples are DMAE, creatine, and activated charcoal.

Detoxification – Dr Bock states ” Toxins, more than any other single, isolated element, appear to be the primary root cause of the 4-A epidemics.” Of all the toxins, heavy metals and environmental chemicals are the most destructive. Remember the recent announcements about butylbenzyl phthalate (BBzP) being linked to eczema? He uses a multi-step detox approach, but generally recommend glutathione for most children in order to aid in the detox process. On the extreme end, for some children with autism he recommends chelation.

Medication – I admit that I shy away from most medication these days. It probably all ties back to the fact that my son’s dermatologists tried to convince me that food didn’t play a part in my son’s severe eczema and that dousing him in ever strengthening doses of cortisone was the only way we’d be able to come close to managing his eczema. Well, they were wrong in my son’s case.  I now listen to my intuition and I’m not afraid to ask questions when a medication is suggested or prescribed. Yes, Dr. Kenneth Bock recommends medication as part of his healing process in some cases, but I like his philosophy as he states:

“Medications definitely have their limitations. I almost never use them as stand-alone therapies, because they generally don’t reverse root causes. Frankly, I believe there is far too much reliance upon pharmacology in modern medicine. Doctors and patients too often seem to be searching for the mythical magic bullet. I do not view medication as a panacea. Even so, meds can sometimes do things that other therapies simply cannot.”

Very well said, Dr. Bock. For preventative asthma medication he speaks highly of cromolyn sodium (used to be marketed as Intal) and Singulair because the side effects are much less than with some other asthma medications. For allergy relief medications he recommends Atarax, Zyrtec, Claritin, Singulair, and Nutraceuticals (natural medications such as quercitin and pycnogenol).

Wow, that’s a lot of information!  I was quite overwhelmed by the end of the book. But, I was hopeful. This book made me hopeful that I may be able to learn something from the tests recommended by Dr. Bock and I was excited to work with our integrative MD to get to the bottom of my son’s allergies, eczema, and asthma. Sure, we’ve come a long way from Tristan’s head-to-toe eczema. Removing specific foods, adding supplements to his diet, changing to natural household cleaning supplies and gentle skincare has helped my son tremendously. But eczema still visits my son, his asthma has been flaring more lately, and his food allergies continue to worsen. There is still work to do and I haven’t given up on Tristan. We’ll get there. And with this book I have hope.

One last word from Dr. Bock, “Don’t be overwhelmed. You can sort it all out….You will learn, from your doctor, that you don’t have to use every treatment that exists. Instead, you and your doctor need to carefully individualize your child’s treatment program, choosing only the most appropriate treatments, and applying them at the right time.”

So, you ask, where do you go from here? Pick up a copy of “Healing the New Childhood Epidemics: Autism, ADHD, Asthma, and Allergies – The Groundbreaking Program for the 4-A Disorders” Then find a DAN doctor or integrative practitioner near you, bring the book, and work in tandem to find the best approach to the healing program for your child.

Have you read this book? What was your take on it? Do you agree with Dr. Bock’s approach? If you’ve tried it, did it work for you?

Please note: I was not asked by the publisher or author to review this book and the opinions expressed are my own.

The Allergy Scoop: Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, and Cocoa Butter

Posted by Jennifer in Allergies, Eczema and tagged with , , , , , , ,

Tree nut allergies are on the rise and can often affect those with eczema. This type of allergy can be just as fatal as a peanut allergy and is for some reason often overlooked by those outside of the medical community. My son has eczema and is allergic to almonds, walnuts, hazelnuts, and pecans, but not peanuts. I prefer to use natural, non-toxic products to moisturize his chronically dry skin, but most these products contain variations of oils that seem to be in the tree nut family, such as coconut oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter. Even some drug store creams contain these oils, so they almost seem to be unavoidable these days.

If you have a tree nut allergy, should you stay away from these oils? The answer I’m afraid is not so cut and dry. I’ve rounded up some facts to share so you can make an informed decision with your physician.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil and Palm Oil are the primary base in most natural soaps. They are also in many balms and salves marketed for those with eczema. And recently many physicians, even Dr. Oz, have begun to encourage anyone with eczema or severely dry skin to try this nutrient rich oil either in cooking or applied directly to the skin. Coconut oil is one popular and diverse oil!

My son has tree nut allergies and if eats coconut one day, he’s fine. If he eats it a second day in a row, he may break out in eczema and/or itching. We used to apply coconut oil to his skin, but now it makes him itchy. Elizabeth from Onespot Allergy also has a son with tree nut allergies, but he doesn’t seem to have any trouble consuming coconut. She wrote a very thorough post here on Coconut Oil and tree nut allergies.  She points out that there seems to be a lot of confusion around coconut and possible allergic reactions. Essentially, Dr. Watson from Allergic Living Magazine states the coconut is actually a large seed from a tree of the palm family. The FDA defines it as a tree nut. FAAN recommends speaking with your doctor if there is concern of an allergic reaction. It seems to be that most allergic reactions to coconut have occurred in individuals without a tree nut allergy. So in theory you should be able to eat a coconut or apply coconut oil to your skin if you have a tree nut allergy.

Shea Butter

Like coconut oil, my son was originally ok with shea butter applied on his skin, but after time he developed a reaction to it. Products containing shea butter in high doses make his skin very itchy.

FAAN and the FDA classify shea as a tree nut. According to Dr. Watson, shea nuts are indeed a tree nut, but there have been no documented allergic reactions to it. He states this is likely because the oil, used in skincare products, contains little protein, which is what triggers an allergic reaction. Dr. Kanwaljit K. Chawla of Mount Sinai School of Medicine conducted a study and found that shea butter only contains 1/3oth of the amount of proteins found in cashews and even less than the amount found in peanuts. Dr. Chawla introduced shea butter into blood samples from individuals with tree nut allergies and found the immunoglobulin E antibodies barely attached to the shea butter, so no allergic reaction occurred.

Although allergies to pretty much anything are possible, a true allergy to shea is very rare.

Cocoa Butter

We have yet to try cocoa butter on my son’s skin, but I hope to soon. He eats chocolate with no problem, so it’s unlikely he’d react topically.

Cocoa butter is derived from the cocoa bean, the same origin as chocolate. The beans grow in pods, and much like coconut, in different circles it is considered a tree nut, a seed, or a fruit.  Allergies to the cocoa bean itself are extremely rare. In fact, reactions to chocolate are usually related to a shellfish allergy or cross contamination with nuts, dairy, soy, etc. So, if you have a severe allergy to peanuts or other tree nuts, make sure your cocoa butter or chocolate is free from contamination with other nuts. As it turns out, cockroaches are quite fond of the cocoa bean and larger quantities than you’d like of these critters actually end up in many products derived from cocoa beans. Ick! Since cockroaches are related to shellfish, as are dust mites, some people with allergies to any of these items could potentially react to cocoa or cocoa butter.

*****

The Bottom line: Speak with your physician if you have doubts about using coconut oil or shea or cocoa butter and always apply a very small amount of the oil/butter as a patch test before applying liberally to ensure you don’t have a reaction.

Please note that I am not a medical professional. You should speak with your physician before trying any of the oils mentioned above if you or your child have a tree nut allergy. It’s always better to be cautious.

*****

If you have a tree nut allergy, please take a look at our tree nut-free products at The Eczema Company.

The Stuff Outside the Box: Finding Unconventional Allergy/Eczema/Asthma Triggers (Guest Post)

Posted by Jennifer in Allergies, Asthma, Eczema, Guest Posts and tagged with , , , ,

Finding all the triggers for your or your child’s allergies, eczema, and/or asthma can seem like a daunting task. Well, that’s because it is. My best advice is to keep a daily journal of reactions, foods consumed, exposure to things in the home/outside the home, and anything at all new. After a while, go back and read past journal entries. You may start to see some items repeat themselves and a pattern may form, thus identifying a trigger. This has really helped us on Tristan’s journey.

Take a look below at some unconventional ideas for identifying possible triggers. Please give a warm welcome to Linda Wallace!

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Bio: Linda Wallace is a mom, author & Energy Health Practitioner.  Her current book ‘You Can Heal Your Kids ~ a Mom’s Guide to Reversing Disease & Creating Health in Your Children – Safely & Naturally’ is available at Amazon in print and Kindle versions.  Learn more about Linda: ,  Facebook, Twitter, and blog.

The Stuff Outside the Box

If you’re a parent of a child with health issues, I’m sure you’ve had your child tested for allergies somewhere along the course of their medical treatment.

The standardized medical testing procedures for determining food allergies are amazingly helpful tools – but do they encompass the whole picture?

The world is full of a lot of ‘stuff’, so if you’re not seeing the changes in your health condition that you expected to by eliminating the foods you tested reactive to, you might just need to think outside of the box:

Food Combinations

Traditional allergy testing can tell you if you are reactive to individual items, but unfortunately, we don’t ingest one food per day.   It is my experience that the reaction that needs to be addressed, is the reaction between everything you’ve eaten and drank that day.   The contents in your stomach, as a whole, is what your body is working with.  Not just a tomato or just gluten or just an egg.   You might not test reactive to citrus or dairy, but maybe the orange juice you had at breakfast combined with the cheese you had at lunch — together in your stomach — create a sensitivity.

Other Food Issues

People can be reactive to vitamins, minerals, proteins and such.   I have found this to be the case when food elimination doesn’t seem to help matters.   If you’re reactive to chlorophyll, then all of a sudden those healthy greens aren’t healthy anymore!

Check all of your ground spices – again, you need to keep combinations in mind and uncooked/cooked.

Environmental – Natural

Airborne allergens can travel up to 500 miles from their point of origin.  Imagine all of the unidentified substances you’re breathing in on a daily basis – any of which could wreak havoc on your immune system!  If there’s a fire at a rubber factory 375 miles from your home, chances are you’re breathing what was incinerated at that site.

Most medical allergy tests include cats and dogs.  I have found that it’s the animal food/treats that are the underlying cause of the allergies.   One example: I’ve had cats for over 20 years and when we got Darla, I had my first cat allergy attack.  Finding that weird, I thought about what was different about her than my other cats.  I had bought Pounce for the first time.  I stopped giving her Pounce and my symptoms went away.   You could also be sensitive to the pet’s urine, feces, saliva, blood or bedding.   If you have other pets, check them out as well! (even reptiles, spiders, hermit crabs and such – every animal gives off something!)

I’ve had clients with breathing issues test reactive to oxygen, nitrogen and carbon dioxide (air going into and out of the body) and oxygen sensitivities tend be the foundation of water sensitivities.

You can be reactive to anything – including your own bodily fluids (tears, mucus, sweat, etc) or the bodily fluids of another.

Environmental – Man Made

I can’t tell you how many kids I’ve worked with that have a sensitivity to plastic! A substance they are surrounded with their entire lives!  Other significant causes of reactivity are:

  • Soaps, shampoos, deodorants
  • Mouthwash, Toothpaste (the fluoride in toothpaste is a known poison – read the label)
  • Fabric softeners (at least 2 known carcinogens in every brand of fabric softener)
  • Cosmetics & Perfumes (the FDA has no jurisdiction over the cosmetic industry!)
  • The air in the home / school / business / car any other frequented places
  • Household Cleaners (even if they’re natural, they could be causing reactions)
  • Dishwashing soaps, carpeting (lots of formaldehyde in new carpets!)
  • Eye contact solutions, Creams, lotions, salves

Basically, just check your bathroom & kitchen!

When checking for allergies or substance sensitivities, the world is full of ‘stuff’.  I hope these suggestions help expand the box of what to look for!

In Health,

Linda Wallace

www.YouCanHealYourKids.com

http://www.MBEShift.com

Eczema Flare: Could it be Food–Pollen or Food-Food Cross-reactivity?

Posted by Jennifer in Allergies, Eczema and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Tristan is having another bad go of it. I know his skin flares up each April during the beginning of allergy season, mostly around his face, neck, and wrists as opposed to behind the knees and on the legs, belly, and back like with his food allergy triggered eczema. We’re fairly sure this spring reaction is due to an allergy to birch and grass pollen, but we need to have this diagnosed with a skin test (here’s hoping his outdoor allergies can be diagnosed via allergy testing as his food allergy tests were always inconclusive).

This April was no exception, except it started earlier this year, so back in March Tristan’s skin had already started to flare. We found a homeopathic tincture that seemed to help him out, Homeodel 15, so we added it to the other homeopathic eczema tinctures he was already on and have yet to change the dosage. His skin healed up mostly and was looking really great last week. Then BAM, out of nowhere he’s reacting head-to-toe, beyond just the areas exposed to pollen.  I am sure he didn’t eat anything he shouldn’t have. We haven’t changed cleaning products. So, what is this? It’s like the food related eczema flares – behind the knees, legs, belly, back, AND the seasonal reaction – face, eyelids, and neck, COMBINED – what fun! Why did this come on so sudden? Why did this happen when he seemed to be healing up so nicely? Why is his whole body affected? Gotta love eczema and allergies – always more questions than answers. (Smirk)

I was commenting (ok, more like complaining) over Facebook about Tristan’s sudden flare-up and Tracey from Nutrimom suggested it could be synergistic foods. I’d heard a little about this before, but was intrigued and of course desperate to get to the bottom of this latest flare (as I’m sure you can all understand), so I did some more research and came across some interesting information regarding concomitant and synergistic foods.

According to Allan D. Lieberman, M.D.,

“A concomitant food is one which provokes a reaction in a susceptible individual when another allergen – such as a pollen – is present. This means that you can be more reactive or more symptomatic following the ingestion of specific foods during certain pollinating seasons … Synergistic foods are those which, when combined and eaten together in the same meal, can cause an allergic reaction – even though when eaten separately they might cause only a mild reaction or none at all.”

Very, interesting – I had to know more.

Synergistic Foods

Corn & banana – bad food synergy.

From what I found, it seems synergistic foods can go one of two ways – helpful or hurtful to the body. Many foods like broccoli and tomatoes, when eaten together, can give the body the exact right combination of nutrients to ensure the body processes these foods in the most beneficial way possible. However, some foods can have the opposite effect, when corn and bananas are eaten together, they can be harmful to the body and could cause an allergic reaction, even if there is no individual allergy to corn or bananas present.

Following is a list of foods that can be harmful when consumed together:

Proven Synergistic Food Combinations

Corn Bananas
Beef Baker’s and Brewer’s yeast
Cane sugar Oranges

Questionable Synergistic Food Combinations (yet to be proven)

Wheat Tea
Eggs Apples
Milk Mint

Could this be what’s triggered Tristan’s recent eczema outbreak? It’s certainly possible, but since it’s now grass pollen season, I think it’s more likely that Tristan’s flare was caused by concomitant food as described below.

Concomitant Foods

If consumed while someone is exposed to pollen, concomitant foods have been known to trigger an allergic reaction in any form, including eczema. This is different from Food-Pollen Allergy Syndrome and Oral Allergy Syndrome where reactions are localized to the mouth or throat and can cause anaphylaxis.

Proven Concomitant Foods

POLLEN FOODS
Ragweed Milk, melons, bananas, and lettuce
Iva ciliate (Poison ivy) Wheat
Sage and Mugwort Potato, celery, and coriander
Pigweed Pork
Grass Beans, peas, soybeans, cottonseed (cooking fats), grains, apples, carrots, and celery
Marigold Milk
Cedar Beef and yeast (Baker’s, brewer’s, and malt)
Elm Milk
Oak Eggs and chestnut
Pecan Corn and bananas
Birch Hazelnut, apples, carrot, celery, potato, and oranges

Questionable Concomitant Foods (yet to be proven)

Dust Nuts
Influenza vaccine Onion
Iva ciliate (Poison Ivy) Tea
Chenopods Eggs
Pigweed Lettuce
Elm Lettuce and chocolate
Cotton wood Wheat and tea
Oak Apples

Right now it’s grass pollen season, so we’re going to eliminate some of the foods in the grass concomitant food row for a few days and see if we notice an improvement in Tristan’s skin.  Bye-bye apples, carrots, peas, and celery. He’s not going to be happy about the apples, that’s for sure. If we see a difference we’ll try the foods cooked and see how he reacts. Many times cooked concomitant foods are processed with no problems. And of course, as soon as grass pollen season ends, we’ll bring back in the eliminated foods.

Do you have any experience with Synergistic or Concomitant Foods?

Eat, Scratch. Eat, Scratch: The Food Allergy and Eczema Connection (Guest Post)

Posted by Jennifer in Allergies, Eczema, Guest Posts and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

This guest post is about a subject very close to my heart. Louise, a certified dietician and pediatric nutritionist, and I share very similar views about how certain foods can trigger eczema. Yes, this idea is becoming more and more common/accepted and physicians are starting to admit it’s not so rare to see eczema flares after eating certain foods. If you’re unsure about food allergies, I hope this post will make you pick up the phone and make an appointment with the allergist and nutritionist. Make sure to check out Louise’s informative blog, where she shares lots of great tidbits and recipes for keeping kids healthy!

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Bio: Louise Goldberg RD, CSP, CNSC is a Registered Dietitian who is board certified as a pediatric nutrition specialist and a certified food allergy specialist.  Catch more nutrition tips and info from her on Facebook at An Apple A Day Nutrition Consulting or on Twitter at @AnAppleADayRD.

Eat, Scratch. Eat, Scratch: The Food Allergy and Eczema Connection

Eczema can be challenging for kids to deal with and even more challenging for their parents.  My patients tell me having eczema affects all aspects of their life, from difficulty concentrating in school (because of feeling so itchy) to a rough night’s sleep.  Moms and dads become super sleuths when their little one has a flare up:  Was it the cold weather?  Was it the new laundry detergent?  Did Aunt Pearl have perfumed lotion on her hands when she pinched his cheeks?

Considering that a food might be triggering the flare up may be only one of several possibilities or it may not be considered at all; however, when other environmental factors have been ruled out, it’s time to put your child’s diet in the spotlight.  A study investigating the link between foods and eczema revealed that 1 in 3 children who have moderate to severe eczema also have a food allergy.  In fact, chronic eczema is sometimes the first indication for parents that their child has a very active immune system and allergy testing (including foods!) should be pursued.

Testing 

There are a couple ways to test kids for food allergies.

A skin prick test, where a small amount of purified extract from a specific food is placed on the child’s skin.  The skin is then lightly scratched or pricked to make elicit an immune response.  This method is out of the question for a child with eczema.  The test will most likely be inaccurate, difficult to determine results and can further irritate the skin.

A RAST (Radioallergosorbent test) is done using a sample of blood taken from the patient and tested outside the body for antibodies to specific foods.  It is the most reliable testing at this time; however still has faults.  You can get false positives, false negatives and it doesn’t account for other responses.

An elimination diet can pick up on a wide variety of issues in the diet and it is not age-restricted.  If parents suspect one or two foods are responsible for eczema flare ups, they can do a trial elimination of those from the diet to see if it gives their child some relief.  If they aren’t quite sure where to start, an allergist or a dietitian can give them some guidance, as well as direct them to alternatives that will provide their child with good nutrition so their growth isn’t compromised.

Common Foods That Trigger Eczema Flare Ups

While any food protein has the potential to cause an immune response, the allergens most commonly associated with eczema symptoms are: eggs, milk, peanuts, soy and wheat.  I’ve found that some of my patients have even had flare-ups associated with tomatoes and green peas so make sure to bring up any additional food concerns you have with your allergist and dietitian.

Asking you to adjust or restrict your child’s diet to search for a food allergy may sound like a daunting task.  And even though omitting that food may not cause your child’s eczema to completely go away, if it means one less itch, one less scratch and a good night’s sleep, it will be a relief to both of you.

If you have more detailed questions, feel free to contact me at Louise@AnAppleADayNutrition.com and check out the food allergy resources listed here.


Treating Pediatric Eczema with Traditional Chinese Medicine: Part 1 of 2 (Guest Blog)

Posted by Jennifer in Allergies, Asthma, Eczema, Guest Posts and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

We’ve been hearing more and more about the benefits of Traditional Chinese Medicine in treating many health ailments. Can it really help eczema? Western doctors think it’s certainly possibly. There is a phase 2 study being conducted right now on the benefits of Chinese herbs to help relieve the symptoms of eczema.  So, with all this interest in TCM, I asked Dr. Peter Wood, to shed some light on how he uses ancient Chinese medicine to treat children with eczema.

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Bio:  Peter is a Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine. He specializes in the natural treatment of Asthma, Allergies and Eczema. He holds an undergraduate degree in human kinetics (BPE) from the University of Manitoba.  He completed the 5-year Dr.TCM program at the International College of TCM of Vancouver in 2006, followed by an internship in the An Hui Hospital in He Fei, China.  He then pursued further continuing education training in the treatment of asthma, allergies and eczema and has adopted a highly effective protocol to have these patients come safely off their pharmaceutical drugs and to live symptom free. www.drpeterwood.com

Treating Pediatric Eczema with Traditional Chinese Medicine

It is heartbreaking to see an infant suffering through a flare-up of eczema, especially for the child’s parent.  Eczema, otherwise known as atopic dermatitis, is the most common skin disease in children, affecting nearly 25% of children worldwide.  Over 2 million Canadians and 15 million Americans suffer from eczema.  Since 1970, the prevalence of eczema has nearly tripled.

More common in children who have family members with asthma, allergies and/or eczema themselves, eczema often begins in babies when food is first introduced or when new foods are introduced. The current treatment by modern medicine helps control the eczema, but is not curative.  The corticosteroid creams used to treat it have adverse effects over the long-term.

The lives of those affected by eczema are further challenged by the complications of loss of sleep, and commonly they lack confidence and have low self-esteem.

Studies & Research

Many studies have shown the effectiveness of Traditional Chinese Medicine’s herbal formulas in treating eczema.  Often these studies are not accessible in North America because they are performed in China, and translation is slow in bringing us the information.  However, many studies have been conducted and reported in British medical journals.  One such research project (placebo-controlled double-blind trial) was a one-year study1 of 37 children suffering from eczema conducted at the Hospital for Sick Children, London, England.  At the end of the study, 18 children had at least a 90% reduction in the severity of their eczema after 8 weeks of treatment.

Treatment Philosophy

The beauty of Traditional Chinese Medicine is that it gives the trained practitioner the ability not only to treat the condition, but also to understand why the condition is there, such that we can then address and treat the cause of the symptoms.  We call this “treating the branch (symptoms) while also treating the root (cause of the symptoms)”. The digestion always plays a role in causing the symptoms associated with atopic dermatitis and so treatment involves regulating the digestion.

The practitioner is able to differentiate between the various ‘TCM Patterns’ involved in the condition of eczema in order to select the most appropriate herbs to back out the pattern.  Not only is TCM treatment effective, it is quite rare to experience any adverse effects from the medicine.

Herbal Treatment

Administration of the herbal medicine through an eyedropper is the common method in treating infants.  The use of an oral syringe is the most common approach for young children.  As children reach the age of 3-6 years old, they become able to consume the tea as a drink.

It is often also necessary to use topical herbal creams to bring the acute symptoms under control.  It is highly important to stop the itch cycle, especially at night when the patient will scratch unconsciously during sleep.

Effectiveness of the treatment will be contingent on the skill of the practitioner and the ability of the patient to be compliant in taking the medicine regularly.  Typically amelioration of the symptoms will occur within the first few weeks of treatment.

Due to the drastic improvement in a patient’s quality of life, and in the quality of life of the patient’s family members, I find it extremely fulfilling to treat eczema, and am happy to educate the public on how effective TCM can be in resolving such conditions.

Reference: 1: Sheehan, M.P., Atherton, D.J., One-year follow-up of children treated with Chinese medicinal herbs for atopic eczema.  British Journal of Dermatology (ENGLAND) Apr 1994, 130 (4) p488-493.

Post written by Dr. Peter Wood

If you’d like to find a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner near you, try these resources:

National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

Acufinder.com

The Accreditation Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine (California practitioners must also have this accreditation)

 

This is part one of a two-part series. Take a look at part two, our Q&A with Dr. Wood to answer some of the most common questions about TCM.

Have you tried TCM? What kind of results did you see?

 

A Sunblock Allergy Warning & Sun Protection Ideas

Posted by Jennifer in Allergies, Eczema and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , ,

Sunblock warning: For many kids with eczema and allergies, new allergies can develop any time. It’s probably been six or more months since your children have worn their favorite sunscreen or sunblock. It’s best to do a small patch test on their skin if it’s been a while you’ve last applied the sun cream. Your child may have used the same sun protection for years with no issues, but could suddenly develop a reaction to it.

Case in point, today I generously applied Badger’s Unscented sunblock to much of Tristan’s skin. This was our favorite sunblock last year because it was natural and he never reacted to it, so without thinking I covered Tristan. Big mistake. He instantly was covered in hives, his eczema flared up, and he was an itchy mess.

Please, learn from my experience and do a small patch test before you lather up your child with any old favorites or new sunblocks. Of course this applies to any skincare product, but for some reason, the sunblock slipped my mind.

With our old dependable sunblock out the window, we’re moving on to try some new natural, non-toxic products. Both of these offer broad spectrum UVA/UVB coverage.

“The” Sunscreen – SPF 30, comes in a stick and tube format and is a favorite of fellow eczema mom, Goovey Green Livin’.

SunCare – SPF 25, spray format and made on tree-nut free equipment.

And for quick cream-free coverups? UPF clothing!

Sunny Sleevez – UPF 50+, throw these sleeves on and head out the door, remove when you come back indoors. No mess, no fuss. Easy.

Eczema Twitter Party Recap

Posted by Jennifer in Eczema and tagged with , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The first EVER Eczema Twitter Party was held on March 16, 2012 and it was a HUGE success! Many thanks to our gracious host Mei of Eczema Blues. She has created a party transcript for anyone that couldn’t attend, but wants to be in the know.

Please visit Eczema Blues for the full party transcript. Below are the questions that prompted some great responses and interesting side conversations.

Q1: What’s the BEST thing that has helped your child’s eczema? Moisturizing or Steroid or Swimming or Food Elimination/ others?

Q2: How many times a day do you moisturize your child and how long it take to use 500ml/16ounce bottle?

Q3: What trigger have you avoided and your child’s eczema improved much thereafter?

Q4: What’s the best trick you have to distract your child from scratching?

Q5: Does your child scratch more at night? How do you protect him/her from scratches?

Q6: Does your child have cradle cap? Share what works on removing cradle cap!

Q7 Do you use steroid for your child? Share your oral steroid/ topical steroid experience!

Q8: Does your child suffer from allergy? Which allergy and how do you cope?