Itchy eyes and allergy testing
Printed From: OHbaby!
Category: Support
Forum Name: Reflux and Allergy Support
Forum Description: Struggling with a refluxy baby? Looking for tips to deal with allergies? Share your experiences here.
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=29458
Printed Date: 23 November 2024 at 4:19am
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Topic: Itchy eyes and allergy testing
Posted By: AuntieSarah
Subject: Itchy eyes and allergy testing
Date Posted: 20 October 2009 at 10:33am
My son seems to be allergic/intolerant to a few things (banana, dairy, wheat?) and as well as eczema he seems to have really itchy eyes a lot of the time. Could he have hayfever? He doesn't sneeze but just rubs his eyes lots, of course everyne sees it and says aww he's tired...well at the moment he probably is seeing we are up all hours of the bloody night  but he's definitely not always tired when he's rubbing his eyes.
Also, I don't know much about testing for allergies (actually, I don't know anything). Dairy makes his eczema worse. Banana makes it worse too and gives him bright green poo. Wheat gives him a rash on his face. Does allergy testing show up these kind of reactions or is it only for more serious allergies? Should I go and get him tested? And, what does testing involve? My dr was talking about the thing on their arm (they put a bit of different things on and see what reacts or somthing?) but I think she said he'd need a blood test for wheat? TIA  ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Replies:
Posted By: Andie
Date Posted: 20 October 2009 at 10:44am
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The blood test is the RAST test - in our case the result of that was useless, but some people find it better than the skin tests. It takes at least 2 weeks to get the results back. If you go down this road, ask the lab to send you an Emla patch before the day of the test - you put it on the site where the blood will be drawn an hour beforehand, and it numbs things up nicely. The skin prick test sounds nasty but really isn't - My daughter and I have had them and it honestly doesn't hurt. Takes 20mins of waiting to see what develops where each allergen was put (and the skin very lightly scratched under it). You can ask you GP to refer you to a lab for them. The tests aren't only for really serious reactions, and I'd say it sounds well worth talking to your Doc about getting Stuart tested. You'll be figuring out a lot about what he doesn't tolerate well by all your observations already - sometimes we wait for a medical test to tell us what is or isn't 'wrong' but you've already got a fair bit of info from what you've seen in him. My son is completely dairy-free too, he reacts to banana too, but kids don't mind at all dining dairy/wheat/banana free... more work for mum but the babies don't mind a bit! I'm assuming you've cut these out of his diet? Your Doc will probably have an opinion on what age it's best to have allergy tests - some do them for infants, some say the results are only meaningful if you wait until after a year old. Either way, probably worth talking with them about it. ------------- Andie |
Posted By: Andie
Date Posted: 20 October 2009 at 10:46am
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sorry - didn't see your edited bit there. The skin prick test doesn't include wheat, but a wheat allergy can be (but isn't necessarily) detected by blood. Good luck! Always kinda stinks when you hear of another person dealing with reactions and the like... I hope there's some clear answers for you soon. ------------- Andie |
Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 20 October 2009 at 10:47am
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Yeah gluten is a blood test, they do skin prick test for it but it's not that accurate.
Dairy and banana are both high allergen foods (which just means lots of people are allergic to them), these can both be skin prick tested for. When Spencer has been tested they have done it on his back, their arms are too small, the Dr puts some pen marks first then next to each he puts a drop of each thing he is testing for (each time Spencer has been tested for about 12) and then using what looks like a pin he has made a tiny scratch, scratch is not the best word as it doesn't even leave a mark, it just enough to disturb the top of the skin so some of the liquid is absorbed. Spencer has each time found it ticklish so it certainly doesn't hurt. Then we wait 10 mins and see which if any come up and they measure how big the reaction is. The go red and a little swollen but fade away again quickly, Spencer's are always gone by the time we get home about 45 mins later. Yep could be hayfever and they can skin prick test for all those as well, might also be cat/dog/horse hair. Oh Spencer's allergic reaction just give him ezcema, a crook gut and sometimes an allergy rash, so not a severe reaction and they still show up on skin prick testing, just his don't come up as bad as someone with anaphalaxis would. My friends little boy is gluten intolerant and the only indicators were horrid poos and a small patch of ezcema and some moodiness that they couldn't get to the bottom of, his skin prick test was neg but his blood test showed he is actually quite bad with gluten. HTH ------------- 
 
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Posted By: AuntieSarah
Date Posted: 20 October 2009 at 10:52am
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Thanks for that Andie Yep I have cut those things out of his diet, well I cut basically everything out of his diet for a while and slowly reintroduced things and those are the things he has reacted to. Although the rash on his tummy has never cleared up, I am wondering if I need to cut dairy out of my own diet as well as I just can't figure out what else it could be.
Thanks for the tip about the Emla patch too...can't imagine it's nice getting blood out of a bubba  Do they do it the same as an adult (in your elbow) or?? ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: cuppatea
Date Posted: 20 October 2009 at 11:16am
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Yeah the blood test is in the elbow. I found the whole experience quite unpleasant and nearly cracked when Spencer had his done as I had to physically restrain him whilst they did it. However he was over it 2 secs after they pulled the needle out and was laughing with the guy that had just done it. I really want DH to take him for the next one but he's a needle phobe so will be me again :(
If he does have one find out where in you area is good to go to cos the place we went was recommended by the paed and I think they must do lots of kids they we were really great with him and made it as quick and painless as is possible. They were good with me too when they could see me getting upset. With the diet I had to cut all dairy out with Kyle and have just started eating it again now, maybe you could cut down if you don't want to cut out completely. I stayed away from cheese, yoghurt and ice cream for the longest and he seemed ok with me having a bit of milk in tea and using dairy spreads etc and now is ok if I eat yoghurt and so on -------------
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Posted By: kabe
Date Posted: 20 October 2009 at 11:20am
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It soounds like it would be a good idea to get your son tested. It makes life so much easier knowing what foods to avoid.
My daughter has had about 4 RASTs done now for allergy testing. They take the blood from a vein in their arm. If you go for that option make sure you go to a lab that has staff experienced in taking blood from babies. If they get it first time, it's not too bad and is all over pretty quickly. Baby sits on your lap, another staff member helps keep them still & one takes the bld. I've never heard of the Emla patch! ------------- http://alterna-tickers.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: AandCsmum
Date Posted: 20 October 2009 at 4:53pm
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For help on food intolerances/allegies here is a good website. http://www.fedupwithfoodadditives.info/factsheets/Factsheet.htm - Food intolerance network fact sheets ------------- Kel http://lilypie.com"> 
A = 01.02.04 & C = 16.01.09 & G = 30.03.12 |
Posted By: AuntieSarah
Date Posted: 20 October 2009 at 8:03pm
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Thanks so much everyone for your responses
We are off on holiday on Thursday so I am going to make an appointment with the dr for when we get back and get some tests done. And in the meantime will cut back on dairy and see if that helps
Cuppatea good point about animal hair - we have 2 cats and a dog so a definte possibility. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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