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At Last! Real Answers…
Discover How A Suburban Mum Is Taking
On the Challenge with Her Child and
Beating Menacing Food Allergies…
Restore Your Child to Glowing
Health & Happiness NOW!
Welcome!
This site will help you win the battle against food allergies and change your life.
Just over two years ago, my food allergy journey began when I stopped exclusively breastfeeding my youngest son Kieran. Hindsight is a wonderful thing - I am sure you have heard the saying ‘if only I knew then what I know now’! Well, when it comes to beating food allergies and transforming your child to a “healthy, happy cheeky monkey” you can find out NOW!
If you have a child that has been diagnosed with food allergies or you suspect your child has, then the information I’m about to share with you will help you with your journey much more than if you only visited your local hospital allergy centre. I believe there is huge support and additional information to be offered to parents in conjunction with what is offered by the allergy centres.
10 Simple Steps You Need To Know!
With the help of a dedicated team of health practitioners, I’ve consolidated this knowledge into 10 simple to follow practical steps. The KidsFoodAllergyClinic.com Specialist Panel of Health Practitioners feature throughout the site and have contributed to the ten steps forming the aptly named ‘Food Allergy Success Cycle’.
Why A Cycle?
As with any cycle you will find yourself identifying with and moving through different stages at different times. So the beauty of this guide is that you can come back to it at any time to take stock and assess where you are in the cycle with your child. You’ll know what your options are and what you need to do next. Think of the Food Allergy Success Cycle as your trusted friend!
There are a few things to keep in mind that will make this 10 step cycle relevant to you and your child:
- Most children with food allergies typically have more than one food allergy therefore you might find yourself revisiting the cycle or at least parts of it more than once.
- Some severe food allergies may cause life-threatening reactions known as anaphylaxis. Such severe allergies to food could stay for life or until your child grows out of it. This means you’ll discover aspects of the Food Allergy Success Cycle that will always be more critical to your child’s health and well-being. And you will always do well to have an up to date anaphylactic action plan in place.
- New food allergies or intolerances may develop as your child’s body and immune system is placed under pressure fighting existing ones. The 10 steps will help you combat this and get on top of your child’s food allergies – just as I have!
Making It Clear From the Beginning…
You’ll hear many terms used to describe an abnormal reaction to food; food allergies, food intolerances and food sensitivities, so unless specifically mentioned - for the purpose of this site food allergies refers generally to all. Now I know this won’t please everyone out there but along with the KidsFoodAllergyClinic.com Specialist Panel of Health Practitioners we’ve decided this is the way forward for now.
Ok, let’s get started…
The 10 Steps to Fighting Food Allergies
Step 1: Identify the Symptoms
Step 2: Seek Professional Help
Step 3: Understand Terms Your Practitioner Uses
Step 4: Diagnosis
Step 5: Educate Yourself & Others
Step 6: Food Elimination
Step 7: Nutrition & Supplementation
Step 8: Complimentary and Alternative Medicine Techniques
Step 9: Importance of Re-Testing
Step 10: Decision Time & Future Planning
Step 1: Identify the Symptoms
You must know what to look for!
You see, often young children can’t tell you how they feel or what is really going on with them. As a parent gut feeling and guesswork are sometimes all you have to go on – and you know your child better than anyone else.
Some food allergy or food intolerance symptoms displayed by children can easily be masked or mistaken for more common ailments like a cold or teething. Behavioral signs are even harder to distinguish from the ‘Terrible Twos’ and other factors like tiredness which compound your child’s moods and emotions. That is why knowing some of the common and less known signs or symptoms of food allergies can help you determine if there is a problem with your child.
Symptoms and signs for food allergies, intolerances and sensitivities can be the same so I have used the term food allergies below to mean all of the above;
Signs of food allergies can include:
- Not eating very well
- Bloated belly
- Unsettled sleeping
- Grumpy and moody
- Headaches
- Distant
- Lack of concentration
Symptoms of food allergies can include:
- Itching, burning, swelling and redness around the mouth
- Runny nose
- Skin rash (eczema, hives)
- Diarrhea
- Breathing difficulties – wheezing and asthma
- Vomiting
My youngest son Kieran just before turning six months old had his first outbreak of facial eczema. This was shortly after introducing fruits and other foods into his diet in addition to my breast milk. The facial eczema was horrible - his face was so angry looking and inflamed. It got infected and before I knew it, his face was covered, as were the creases of his neck, arms, legs and ankles. At this point I did not know that eczema could be linked or related to food allergies. I didn’t even know what a food allergy was! Words can’t describe how upset I was seeing my gorgeous baby boy covered in this itchy, painful skin rash that I just could not get to go away.
Since then I have discovered that…
“Facial eczema in babies and toddlers is an early and most common recognizable sign of food allergy”.
Reference: Dealing With Food Allergy: Velencia Soutter, Anne Swain, Robert Loblay
More about Anaphylaxis…
Five cashew nuts could kill my son!
Anaphylaxis is the medical term for a severe allergic reaction that can cause death if not treated immediately. The seriousness of my son’s food allergy was explained to me as: “if Kieran ate five cashew nuts it could kill him”. You should be aware any child with a food allergy has the potential to develop anaphylaxis, even when previous reactions to that food have been mild. This is not to scare you, but if you know this, plus know the symptoms and treatment it will help you react sooner.
Some children are so severely reactive to foods that even someone breathing on them having eaten that food can cause an anaphylactic reaction. I’ll say it again but in a different way – you having the knowledge and awareness can save lives.
Also be comforted a little as I was that in the sad, sad situations where anaphylaxis has caused death it is usually because emergency adrenaline was not available. The saying “prevention is better than cure” is so true – again by knowing - you can have the necessary medication in your home or child’s school bag! You’ll be ready to deal with unforeseen situations that could put your child in danger.
Anaphylaxis is a severe and rapidly progressive allergic reaction. The body’s defense system releases histamine and other chemicals into the tissues to fight the allergen (food) it believes is harmful.
Signs of Anaphylaxis…
These are the same as food allergy reactions just much more severe;
- Breathing difficulty
- Swelling of the lips, eyes and/or face
- Hives or red rash
- Child goes limp and unresponsive
Treatments for anaphylaxis…
These include anti-histamine and adrenaline medication.
- Anti-histamine drugs can be used to combat the release of histamine and reverse the effects that happen when your child goes into Anaphylactic shock.
- Adrenaline is one of the body’s natural stress hormones and when given as medication is the most effective and rapidly acting treatment for anaphylaxis. Adrenaline to treat anaphylaxis is given by injection in a pen looking device, adrenaline’s medical name is ‘epinephrine’ hence the name ‘EPIPEN’.
If you are at all unsure or/and wish to discuss anaphylaxis please contact your General Practitioner or local Hospital Allergy Centre.
Step 2: Seek Professional Help
Where can I go to get help?
When Kieran had his first outbreak of facial eczema I did what most parents would do – I took him to see a General Practitioner (GP) or Family Doctor. I was brought up that if you have something wrong with you the traditional GP is where you go for medical help. As a mom in her early thirties I had heard about complimentary or alternative medicine techniques but knew very little about them. I was much more comfortable seeking conventional and more scientifically based help to fix my son’s health problems.
This to some extent is still true. However I am much more open to trying new techniques and using different types of professional health practitioners for help now. I had to be to get my son’s health to where it is today! I believe in a combination of conventional and complimentary medicine. I believe there are benefits from using both in the Food Allergy Success Cycle.
Conventional medicine has its pro’s and cons, as does complimentary or alternative medicine. That’s why I think using both helps you get the benefit of a fuller picture when it comes to tackling food allergies. This doesn’t mean that you have to agree with me or my choices – you will still benefit hugely from following the cycle and so will your child. I must say though how much I have gained on this journey by learning to open my heart and my mind as I hope you will as well.
Who can help me?
A conventional pathway for professional Food Allergy help could involve the following people:
- GP or Family Doctor
- Hospital Allergy Center Specialist
- Dietician
- Nutritionist
An alternative pathway might involve, though is not limited to, the following people:
- Naturopath
- Kinesiologist
- Electrodermal Screening Practitioner
- Chiropractor
By knowing there are choices and understanding the type of help each can give I have been able to choose a mixture of both conventional and alternative pathways for Kieran. Alternative medicine if used in addition to conventional is called complementary. If complementary techniques are used instead of conventional medicine then it is deemed alternative.
Generally, practitioners of conventional medicine do not support or recognize the value of alternative therapies or medicine and the use of natural remedies for treating a wide variety of conditions.
Some More about conventional medicine…
Conventional medicine is viewed as the more traditional or a western type of medicine based on science.
This is generally the first place you would take your child to get professional help. A GP also provides a ‘letter of referral’ required to get an appointment at a Hospital Allergy Center. You need to take this letter with you when you go to the Allergy Center. I booked Kieran’s appointment at the Allergy Centre first and then got the letter of referral from my GP a few weeks before his appointment. I did it this way as the waiting list for Hospital Allergy Center’s in my experience can be quite lengthy, anywhere between 2-6 months.
The best thing to do is call your nearest Allergy Center NOW and see how long the waiting list is, book an appointment and then get your letter from your GP.
A conventional Hospital Allergy Center is an essential first place to get help understanding what is wrong with your child. Allergy Centers at Hospitals provide blood and /or skin prick testing for your child for all types of allergens including food allergies and food intolerances, as well as providing some helpful diet and nutritional information after diagnosis.
Kieran’s first allergy test was using the “Skin - Prick” method at a hospital Allergy Center. This involved putting a small drop of each allergen in liquid form onto his forearm and then a nurse gently pricked his skin to let tiny amounts get into the top layer. A little lump like a mosquito bite comes up if the body’s defense system is going to kick off an allergic reaction. The size of the lump and the speed in which it comes up is also an indication of the severity of the allergy. For Kieran he instantly reacted to cashews and pistachios with a large lump for both whilst it took a few minutes for a lump reaction for egg to show.
Some More about Complementary or Alternative Medicine…
Complementary or alternative medicine is defined as practices used instead of standard treatments or medical approaches that differ from Western, drug-based medicine. It includes Chinese medicine, acupuncture and naturopathy amongst other treatments.
Complementary health practitioners generally will not test or treat anaphylaxis because of the severity and potential life threatening nature of the allergy. Most testing and complementary treatments involve a small amount of exposure to the allergen – cashew, pistachio or egg in Kieran’s case. As reactions are unpredictable and vary from child to child, if you suspect your child has a severe food allergy it is safer to confirm your fears in a hospital allergy center environment.
For more details on Complementary or Alternative medicine please go to Step. 8
Step 3: Understand Terms Your Practitioner Uses
To help you understand terms your practitioner might use here are a few explanations you’ll find useful…
Did you know?
A food allergy is caused when the body’s defense system (otherwise known as the immune system) mistakes a food or part of a food as harmful. The body’s defense system has cells called IGE antibodies that protect the body and they trigger an allergic reaction. These antibodies are found in the bloodstream and parts of the body that parasites tend to attack like the stomach, skin and mouth.
A runny nose or itching skin are two of the symptoms or the body’s way of reacting to the food it thinks is harmful. The allergic reaction is caused by the IGE antibodies releasing a chemical into the body’s bloodstream called histamine. That is why anti–histamine tablets can help with allergy control and a good example of this is like when you use them to treat Hayfever.
The most common food allergies in children are egg, peanuts and milk, with other types of nuts, seafood, wheat and gluten high on the list.
A food Intolerance does not involve the body’s defense system or IgE antibodies. Food intolerance is a reaction triggered by the natural or added chemical components of foods irritating nerve endings in different parts of the body. Bloated belly and irritability are two of the potential signs of food intolerance or sensitivity.
There are three main groupings of food chemical components causing food intolerance or sensitivities. These are:
1) Salicylates – are a family of plant chemicals found naturally in many fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, spices, jams, honey, yeast extracts, tea, coffee, juices, beer and wines.
2) Amines – come from protein breakdown or fermentation. Cheese, chocolate, wine, beer, yeast extracts and fish products generally are fermented over time to become the final food product; all of these have large amounts of amines present. Amine levels in bananas, tomatoes, avocado and broad beans increase as they ripen.
3) Glutamate – is a building block of all proteins and is found naturally in most foods. Tomatoes, cheeses, mushrooms, yeast and meat extracts are rich in natural glutamate.
So, what is the difference between a food allergy & intolerance?
Well, think of it as the signs and symptoms of food intolerance can be similar to food allergy just milder. Also food allergy reactions tend to be more immediate where as food intolerance can build up over time. Either or both can have a negative effect on your child’s health over the long term if not detected.
Food allergies are rarer than food intolerances but the two terms do get commonly used as one or described as food allergies.
Step 4: Diagnosis
So, what is wrong with my child?
When it comes to getting your child diagnosed with food allergies sometimes the conventional path can provide challenges that have to be overcome.
My GP diagnosed Kieran with ‘Atopic (means inherited) Eczema’ and referred him to several specialist dermatologists - skin specialists. Neither of the specialist dermatologists or GPs I saw at that time mentioned the possible link to food allergies. This still baffles me especially as the Hospital Allergy Center is part of the same local medical system and they have research stating:
“In more than 90% of cases food allergy is associated with atopic eczema typically beginning in the first year of life”.
Reference: Dealing With Food Allergy: Velencia Soutter, Anne Swain, Robert Loblay
Since doing my own research I have discovered that western or conventional medicine tends to treat symptoms and immediate relief rather than the underlying problems. This could be down to the fact conventional medicine relies on physical symptoms and a more scientific approach to medicine. That said when Kieran was finally tested at the Hospital Allergy Center I did get a thorough diagnosis of his allergies, the more severe ones being food.
.
Hospital Allergy Center
Kieran was diagnosed as anaphylactic – life threatening allergy to cashews and pistachios, as well as being allergic to egg at his first testing using the ‘Skin - Prick’ method. Whilst this method of testing involved needles and was upsetting for both Kieran and myself, this did give accurate and life saving information that I would not have known otherwise.
Also when the test was performed Kieran was in a controlled environment with medically trained personnel and emergency equipment available. With the serious nature of his food allergies that was essential!
Finding out your child has food allergies!
It’s very hard to sum up how I felt after Kieran’s diagnosis. The term anaphylaxis drowned everything else out. Egg allergy and food intolerances were really background noise compared to my brain trying to come to terms with the seriousness of the effect cashews and pistachio nuts could have on my son. I was shocked, upset and scared all at the same time. ‘What ifs’ and a range of emotions washed over me that afternoon. It is one afternoon I won’t forget.
Still, turning to the positive slant on the diagnosis it was better to know than not to know! Kieran is actually lucky he is not anaphylactic to more common nuts like peanuts. The risk of him being exposed to cashews or pistachio is much less than peanuts as these days peanuts and traces of peanuts are present in many, many every day food products. Also most children with egg and nut allergies also have a dairy one too, so I was fortunate Kieran was only two out of three!
Step 5: Educate Yourself & Others
Keep Asking Questions!
When Kieran was first diagnosed with ‘Atopic Ezcema’ I did what the GP recommended. I took him to see several skin specialists. On their advice I bought every kind of eczema cream or skin preparation. I tried everything from paw paw cream, bathing him in oats, to applying the stronger steroid and cortisone creams when his skin was really bad. This helped get things under control but did not get to the root of the problem – so I kept on looking for answers.
Educate Yourself - Research & Contact…
I talked to family, friends and colleagues, I bought books and I searched on the internet but at that time I was focused on treating eczema and not what caused it. I did things to help his skin on the outside. I made changes to his bedding, clothing, bathing habits but nothing seemed to get to the core of the problem. Now I know why – the problem was on the inside!
Then by luck - one day at work venting my frustration to a colleague I discovered her son too had eczema, as well as asthma; she had taken her son to a local Hospital Allergy Centre and discovered he had multiple food allergies. By talking to her I had found a new avenue to explore. That avenue did eventually give me the answers I was looking for.
Educate Yourself – Get The D.E.A.L!
There are so many areas you need to look at addressing. Diet, Environment, Attitude and Lifestyle are all very important when working towards better health for your child. Processed foods, household cleaning and personal care products are just a few examples where increased awareness and making healthier cleaner choices can have a huge impact on your child’s wellbeing.
Let me introduce you to a very important KidsFoodAllergyClinic.com specialist. Julie is a dedicated mother making the road to healthier cleaner choices easier for everyone. Julie Eady is the author of Additive Alert: Your Guide to Safer Shopping. Julie is a full time Mom to three young children. She developed her interest in food additives and their effects on health after the birth of her first child. With a family history of allergies and asthma, Julie began her research into dietary links to such illnesses, in an effort to improve her children’s chances of avoiding these conditions.
Kids food allergy specialist Julie Eady
Her personal project began so she could identify better food choices for her family and it grew into a much bigger project as she uncovered the truth about many additives used in our food and the serious health concerns associated with them. Julie is the Director of Additive Alert Pty Ltd, a company which promotes better consumer awareness of food additives and their effects on health and also better food labeling.
Julie wants to share with you the worst offender food additives. These are things added to products that you want to avoid giving to your children.
ADDITIVE ALERT
As a
guide the following list is provided, these
are the additives that are suspected
carcinogens, banned in other countries
or are linked to serious adverse health
effects. If you have asthma or other
specific health concerns, there may be
more additives that you wish to
include on your list.
Avoid These Additives
- 104 110 122 123
- 127 129 131 132
- 151 153 155 160b
- 174 175 249 250
- 252 280 281 282
- 310 311 312 319
- 321 385 407 407a
- 433 435 436 466
- 553 621 627 631
- 900 914 943a 950
- 952 954 1201 1520
- 1521
There is so much more vital information about this subject you need to know. For more information about Julie's work and making healthier choices for your children please visit the kids food allergy clinic blog.
Educate Others – Including Your Child…
Explain food allergies in a fun way!
There will come a time when your child needs to understand why they are different and why certain foods make them sick. Making your child aware of their food allergies in a fun but educational way can make them realize being different is not a bad thing at all. Also if your child knows what foods make them sick then they can tell people themselves if they happen to be in a situation where you are not around.
Your child’s emotional wellbeing depends on you as a parent having a positive attitude about food allergies - your child takes on the same vibe you give out. Focus on good things and don’t let living with food allergies get you and your child down.
Try and be positive about the changes you have to make in your child’s life. My youngest son Kieran is nearly three and already he knows he has special milk and cereal. I also give the special milk to his twin brother James so everyone is getting the same.
Step 6: Food Elimination
Stop your child eating ‘danger’ foods’!
The Allergy Center advised me to put Kieran on an elimination diet - that is stop him eating any danger foods. A number of booklets were given to me listing foods he could or could not have depending on his food allergies and intolerances. This was a lot of information to digest – literally!
No tomatoes, no citrus fruit, no berries, no honey, no ham, bacon or processed meats, no tinned tuna or salmon, no strong cheese, no additives or preservatives! And the list goes on!
There might be immediate positive results or benefits seen with your child simply by stopping your child eating their danger foods. Symptoms may reduce. Kieran’s eczema started to disappear from his body within weeks of doing this and I was just left with small patches on his face within a couple of months.
As Kieran has so many food allergies and intolerances it is really hard to exclude everything – sometimes I might give him a food that has a small amount of something that does not agree with his system – having a diary allows me to go back and see what has upset him and when!
I must let you know that this is a great time in the Food Allergy Success Cycle to introduce a food diary and journal to record and monitor the foods your child has eaten. I’ve included a page from Kieran’s so you’ll get the idea.
Step 7: Nutrition & Supplementation
When it comes to nutrition, you are what you eat!
Don’t under estimate the importance of nutrition and a healthy immune system in succeeding against your child’s food allergy battle!
Even though elimination of ‘offending’ foods from Kieran’s diet, after his first testing, had a significant effect on his eczema, it did not fix his overall health problems. Despite the eczema healing on his body and leaving just a few small patches on his face, he was still not eating very well and at times was quite listless - almost in a daze - and not part of what was going on around him.
I know Kieran’s overall health and nutrition had to be considered as part of the big picture to fighting his food allergies and intolerances.
Let me introduce you to Karen Abbey another KidsFoodAllergyClinic.com specialist who is a dietitian. Her specialist areas of food allergy and intolerance include – gluten, lactose, dairy, fructose, sucrose, maltose, egg and peanut. Karen also writes in the area of general young nutrition and how to grow up healthy. She is regularly contributing articles to various health publications that reach people both on-line and off-line and compiling a general nutrition diet guide. She has written books specifically for those who have food allergies and intolerances so she is very informative when it comes to cooking and finding suitable recipes – having written many of these. Karen has completed an impressive array of formal study in the areas of Dietetics, Nutrition and Health Science Management and is about to start work on her PhD.
Karen has provided a couple of ‘healthy allergy friendly’ recipes for you to enjoy. Click here to print or download these recipes.
To really make a difference, you have to heal the Gut…
I know it sounds like a strange thing to say but most children with food allergies will have some problems with their tummy and digestion of foods. Many experts in the allergy field agree that:
”You are what you eat, digest and absorb”.
Naturopath Leisa Wheeler talks about health and allergies in children in two audio interviews that you can hear for free by visiting www.kidsfoodallergyclinic.com/blog.
Leisa expresses the importance of good bacteria in your child’s tummy as well as enough stomach acid is a key to helping the digestion and absorption of the nutrients your child needs.
From my experience with Kieran, I know I can be feeding him the best food in the world, as well as giving him the best quality water, but unless his tummy wall is working properly then all these nutrients are going to waste.
Leisa also believes it is important to know that unless your child’s body is in an alkaline state healing will not take place. A child’s body will naturally strive to maintain a healthy balance between acidity and alkalinity. However children with food allergies may need more help in achieving and maintaining this balance as their systems are already overloaded. There are many ways to assist your child in keeping the balance right, however one easy way is to avoid processed and sugary foods.
Supplementation can also help…
As part of the outcome from Kieran’s Electro Dermal screening sessions (I’ll tell you more about what this is very soon), my practitioner prescribed the following natural supplements to help his health and fight his food allergies…
- ‘Flora Care’ to put the good bacteria into his intestines.
A probiotic to put the good bacteria into his tummy and therefore assist in repairing the gut and immune system as allergy children become very short of it. While most are made from dairy you can also have a dairy free variety if needed.
- ‘Omega Care’ to boost his essential fatty acids and offer immune support.
These are often low in allergy children especially those with the eczema/asthma problems.
- ‘Breathe Easy’ to help strengthen his lungs and breathing.
This is a powerful herbal powder especially to help strengthen lungs and improve breathing. This is mainly aimed at lowering the cells in the system that flare up when exposed to allergy. It does not replace asthma drugs but may reduce the reliance on them over time.
- ‘Zinc Drink’ to help heal his skin.
Zinc is almost always low in children with allergies especially food allergies. Having enough zinc helps the bowel lining and assists with absorption of foods. This is very important if the child has a limited diet.
The products above are great core supplements to help all children with food allergies heal their tummies and build their immune system. Within a month of Kieran following the food elimination, supplementation and nutritional diet changes, I and the people around Kieran saw a transformation. His facial eczema disappeared and we were left with a healthy, happy child. His appetite increased incredibly and he was full of energy!
Step 8: Complementary and Alternative Medicine Techniques
Complementary and alternative medicine techniques exist for testing, diagnosis and the treatment of food allergies, intolerances or sensitivities. Although not widely accepted by conventional medical practitioners there are definite benefits of using non drug based treatments to help heal your child.
Testing using Complementary and Alternative Techniques…
How else can I test my child?
Kieran in addition to the Conventional ‘Skin - Prick’ test has also been re-tested using Kinesiology and Electro Dermal Screening. I have given you a brief description of these testing options below.
Kinesiology focuses on the re-balancing of the body’s energy system. It uses muscle testing to identify problem areas and gentle techniques to re-balance them.
Electro Dermal Screening uses a computerized sensor to measure the flow of energy from an acupuncture point on your hand and detects what is negatively affecting your health; it can be used to test for 200 food and environmental allergens, vitamins, minerals, hormones and enzymes.
I personally, like complimentary or alternative methods as they generally don’t use needles. In addition to Kinesiology and Electro Dermal Screening there are also saliva, stool and urine and blood testing options available.
I have and will continue to use Electro Dermal Screening as I found this suited Kieran as well as me. I really liked the Electro Dermal Screening method because not only did I find out what Kieran was allergic too, but I also found out what deficiencies he had in his immune system. From one session not only were new food allergies; wheat and gluten confirmed, but also that Kieran was amongst other things low in zinc, which is the nutrient used for healing the skin.
Here is Pauline Rose, (below) a Registered Nurse and nutritionist based in Sydney, Australia. She is a practitioner of Electro Dermal Screening which means she works in bio-energetic medicine using a computerized electro dermal screening device.
Pauline has specialized in allergy care and she uses the computerized electro dermal screening device to test for food allergies/sensitivities, immune and digestive health and levels of nutrition. She understands and emphasizes the importance of a healthy defense system.
Pauline has said that many allergy children fail to thrive and says it is important that they have an adequate diet and that they can digest and absorb the food. Simply taking them off the allergy foods without improving their immune system isn’t good enough. Steroid drugs, while necessary at times, have long term side effects and should only be used for limited times if possible.
Getting professional advice is important so that an individual program can be devised for your child. There are many products that can help the immune system and desensitize some of the allergies. This needs to be done on an individual basis. There are, however some products that are fairly universal for all allergy children and can be used to assist them with boosting their immune system while they are waiting to get more specialized advice.
Treatments using Complementary or Alternative Techniques…
What can I do to help my child?
Treatments for food allergies vary depending on the method. Conventional medicine use food elimination and drugs to relieve symptoms of food allergies. Complementary or alternative treatments involve improving diet, supplementation, natural remedies and working with the mind, body and soul together. I have used a combination of food elimination, supplementation, natural remedies and complimentary treatments to help my son. I also have used conventional medication; ventolin inhaler and steroid creams to treat Kieran’s severe asthma and eczema symptoms when we started his food allergy journey.
Knowing what I know now about the long term effects of ventolin and steroid creams I would only choose these in extreme situations. In the past seven months I have used natural supplements and alternative treatments to beat Kieran’s food allergies. Kieran has not had severe eczema or an asthma attack since May 2007.
That said if Kieran was to have a strong allergic reaction or an asthma attack I would take him straight to the nearest hospital for emergency treatment.
Most non emergency treatments for food allergies involve elimination of the offending foods from your child’s diet, this is compulsory to your child’s well being if your child has anaphylaxis. As mentioned above I have used a combination of elimination, supplementation and acupuncture forms of treatment for Kieran.
What I liked about Electro Dermal screening was that not only did I get told to eliminate the foods from Kieran’s diet but I was told what his body was lacking and got prescribed natural supplements to help repair his immune system. Complementary or alternative techniques do tend to give you a number of options to help your child’s health and in some cases reverse the allergy all together.
Step 9: Importance of Re-Testing
Look out for new symptoms and signs!
Asthma and breathing difficulties are also associated with wheat and gluten food allergies. Kieran started having these symptoms just before his second birthday. The allergy centre had warned me that eczema, asthma and food allergies went hand in hand. I was still not prepared when it did happen – more so because there was a delay and I thought Kieran had got away with not having asthma, as only eczema had plagued him during his first year.
Kieran was hospitalized twice in the first part of 2007 with breathing difficulties. The first time was one of the scariest experiences a mother could have. Kieran had a delayed reaction to the nebulisers - the medication given to help open the airways in his lungs. Mask after mask was held over his face, with him screaming and fighting with what little breaths he could muster. Meanwhile I was helplessly holding onto him for dear life - worried sick! When he medication began to finally Kieran calmed down – worn out but able to breathe - a huge wave of relief washed over me. Three sleepless days and nights for both of us in the hospital followed. The half hourly nebulisers were gradually increased to four hourly as his blood oxygen levels and breathing slowly came back to normal.
I should have seen the signs. It wasn’t until I had Kieran re-tested at two and a half years of age that I realized the signs were there telling me something new was going on with Kieran’s little system and I missed them. Kieran was diagnosed with new food allergies; wheat and gluten. The typical symptoms of wheat and gluten allergies Kieran was displaying were breathing problems, the bloated belly, grumpy and irritable moods an no appetite in the evening.
I realized in doing the elimination diet for Kieran’s other food allergies I probably unknowingly caused another! I gave Kieran breakfast cereal, toast, sandwiches, pasta and rice as his staple food to compensate for the foods he couldn’t have. Kieran ate WHEAT, WHEAT, WHEAT and more WHEAT! He would be constantly grumpy and hardly eat anything at all in the evening. No wonder his poor little tummy was bloated and uncomfortable.
Rotate your child’s food!
Speaking to health practitioners and numerous naturopaths it seems the best way to avoid developing a food allergy is to keep rotating your child’s food so they don’t have the same thing day in, day out.
Test regularly!
Following a conventional pathway ‘re-testing’ may only be recommended at 18 24 month intervals as it is believed allergies will settle by themselves with time.
Alternative or complimentary medicine may recommend testing every six months to a year and offers many useful ways to keep building your child’s health on an ongoing basis during this time. Based on Kieran’s food allergy journey and the new food allergies that have developed over the past eighteen months I have had Kieran re-tested three times and will continue to do so until his food allergies are all clear.
Step 10: Decision Time & Future Planning
Congratulations!
You’ve made it with me to the last, yet ever–important step of decision time and future planning. I’ve had an incredible journey following the previous 9 steps in the Food Allergy Success Cycle. Now you have read this you are more informed about the choices and options that are available.
As I mentioned right at the start of our journey, there are some severe food allergies that may cause severe and life-threatening reactions known as anaphylaxis. Such severe allergies to food could stay for life or until your child grows out of it. This means there will be aspects of the Food Allergy Success Cycle that will always be more critical to your child’s health and well-being. And you will always do well to have an up to date anaphylactic action plan in place.
To me, any risk to do with Kieran’s anaphylaxis is a risk not worth taking - for my peace of mind these are some things I recommend:
- Check all food product labels for ingredients – by law companies have to declare if there is any risk of the food being in contact with nuts or other high risk food allergens.
- Avoid eating out in places where you don’t know the ingredients or risk of cross contamination with nuts during food preparation.
- Pack snacks and food from home to ensure your child is not placed at unnecessary risk.
- Make sure family, friends and carers are aware of the seriousness of your child’s food allergies.
- Always carry antihistamine or an Epipen with you – maybe have a spare in the car, or at your child’s school/place of care if different from your home.
At this stage in the Food Allergy Success Cycle you need to consider your child’s overall health status and their current food allergy responses as two separate things in order to make decisions on what to do next. It’s a time to take stock and review where you and your child have been, what you have done together and where you are now.
- How has your child progressed?
- How does your child play, sleep, eat and look?
- Consider all levels – mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Tools such as the Food Diary and Journal are invaluable here, so are the special relationships you have built up with the support people such as health practitioners both, conventional and complimentary.
In conclusion, it’s a time to:
- review
- monitor
- seek advice
- ask more questions
- determine whether to reintroduce foods or not
- consider whether to continue existing treatment
- consider lessening existing treatments
- choose new or additional options from within the steps above
Always make decisions based on your child’s current health and well being.
And now my thanks to you for sticking it out!
My bet if you’ve made it to here is that like it was for me – this journey, wherever your at, has been one filled with adversity and challenges. And, possibly from places you really didn’t expect! Also, it’s been a time for learning and forming networks and friendships.
I feel sure you have grown in confidence as you have gained knowledge from reading this. Remember while it’s your child’s health and wellbeing that requires your utmost attention so you can bring about a positive change in them, you too will be growing as you walk the path –whether you realize it or not! Believe in yourself.
I’ve learned that the food allergy picture is not exactly the same for all children. For this reason I know that given the information in the steps above, the pathway you choose or have chosen for your child will very likely differ in some way – large or small, to the one I am on with Kieran. However, I feel good knowing that you will have a much clearer picture and understanding than if you had never discovered this site. I hope that you achieve success from following what you have learned here and enjoy watching your child reaping the rewards and benefits that I’ve seen possible.
All the best!
Allanna xxx
P.S. While, I love to hear from other parents I do get a lot of emails everyday so I can’t guarantee that I'll get back to you immediately.There is a contact link below if you do have any questions, however you might find the answer you seek by visiting my blog - a dedicated site updated regulary on all aspects related to children with food allergies and intolerances.
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