Hive Advice Needed - Dietary Sensitivities

[bpskowski]

Thanks for reading my post.

 

My son sniffs all the time. He does not have a runny nose, there is nothing to blow out. It is all behind there somewhere in the sinuses. I've been to two different ENTs and an allergist. He's gone form one nasal spray to another. Everything works for a couple of weeks and then stops working. The sniffing is driving my dh crazy. He wants me to go to the doctors, yet again! But, now I'm thinking that maybe it's some sort of diet sensitivity, like dairy. He also has the worst cradle cap (if you can call it that at 7 years old), that we are constantly battling. And, he now has two quarter size eczema spots that occur in the crook of his elbow and just under his chin. So, I'm wondering ...

 

could all three be related to diet?

 

And if so, what is the culprit in his diet?

 

Any advice would be welcomed.

[bpskowski]

No one? Well, I guess I do a little research on dairy free diets and get my meal plan scheduled out for two weeks.

[MomatHWTK]

Food, enviornmental or seasonal allergies can cause the sniff and the eczema. It is often a long hard road to figure out the causes. It was actually all three for my DS! Try visiting KFA.org and AANMA.org for more information.

[kokotg]

The "cradle cap" could actually be psoriasis. My DH has psoriasis that started as a very flaky scalp when he was a kid. Now my DS8 has it, too, and we assume it's psoriasis.

 

Did the allergist test him for environmental allergies?

 

With so much auto-immune related stuff going on, I'd do a gluten free trial and see if it helps. It can't hurt anyway! We cut out gluten because of DH's psoriasis and DS6's allergies and asthma, and we've definitely seen benefits, although not as dramatic as I'd like.

[bpskowski]

Thanks for the replies. I've been doing some checking and WOW! I have dermatitis on both my hands and my husband recently developed dermatitis around his hairline on his forehead, plus he suffers from IBS. Maybe I should do the gluten free diet first and see how everyone's problems go. Oh boy - back to planning the menu again!

[In the Rain]

When the ped was trying to figure out why dd was clearing her throat, she had us take the girls off the big 8 offenders. It seems like we avoided citrus, chocolate, gluten, dairy, egg, soy, corn and others. :tongue_smilie: It was a real hassle. It turns out that the cause was environmental allergies.

[In the Rain]

I've been to two different ENTs and an allergist. He's gone form one nasal spray to another. Everything works for a couple of weeks and then stops working.

 

Did the allergist do testing? If not, that would be a good place to start. I've noticed the effectiveness of nasal sprays and antihistamines seems to vary over time. I assume it is a result of the overall allergy load changing.

 

Even though my girls don't have dairy allergies, almost every doctor we've seen has said to minimize consumption of it. Apparently it contributes to respiratory issues even without true allergy.

[bpskowski]

Yes, the allergist did testing. I was specifically concerned about mold, as we had a damp dirt floor basement at that time. He is allergic to grasses. But that's a spring and summer thing. When he touches some ornamental grasses he gets all red. My allergist said they couldn't do testing of environmental things like air pressure, humidity, weather changes, etc. I was thinking food sensitivities because it's a constant thing.

[VeganCupcake]

I had a classmate in college who also did lots of sniffing. She was allergic to dairy and it got better if she cut out milk, especially, but she loved chocolate milk and drank it all the time from the vending machines at the college. She was also sensitive to soy, so switching to chocolate soy milk didn't help. She just lived with it, but it was not my favorite to be sitting next to her and listening to her sniffle all the time.

 

My DD gets eczema patches when she gets dairy, so that's clearly a trigger for her.

[joannqn]

Dairy does that to me. I sniff all the time but nothing comes out if I try to blow. Antihistamines don't help...at all. Allergy testing is negative for milk and mild allergy to soy. Eating soy gives me horrible stomach pain for 36 hours.

 

When I'm dairy free, my nose is super clear. It's a strange feeling. One I'm not used to. I allowed cheese back in my house for a special occasion and am all stuffed up and sniffing again. I can't wait until it is gone; I have no will power for avoiding it when its in my house.

 

 

ETA: Lactose intolerance causes many of the same symptoms as IBS.

Edited February 19, 2012 by joannqn

[bpskowski]

Thanks guys for all your input. I've decided to experiment with the dairy free for my ds. I want to take care of his sniffs first. Then, I'll try the gluten free for my husband and I.

[amo_mea_filiis.]

I know this is only a symptom, but if his head is just extended cradle cap (what I call it), then try this...

 

Get a Tea Tree Oil shampoo and baby oil.

 

In the morning, drench his head in baby oil. Make it really gross! LOL. Comb it in, and throughout the day rub it in the worst spots.

 

In the evening (even better if you can leave it in overnight) wash his head with tea tree oil shampoo.

 

This has "cured" my son for a year to 18 months at a time. When it's really bad, I do this every few weeks.

 

For the eczema in the elbow, put some aquaphor (a generous amount) and wrap his arm in gauze. This works for me overnight. As long as you do it before it gets bad, it'll clear up nicey.