Food Allergies
Allergies occur when an unchecked immune system misidentifies and attacks innocent substances in the body. Children's allergies can be the result of many factors, and it is far better to correct the cause of the problem than simply to relieve the symptoms (for instance, a stuffy nose or upset stomach). In the case of food allergies, the cause is most likely undigested proteins, such as those found in milk, eggs, some processed foods and even wheat. The more a child eats foods to which he is allergic, the worse the allergy usually becomes. Unfortunately, the very foods that children like the most are often the ones to which they are allergic.A food allergy can produce many symptoms. The most common are digestive disturbances such as upset stomach, constipation and diarrhea. But sinus congestion, hives, headaches, earaches and bedwetting—seemingly unrelated problems—can also be caused by allergies. While stress and fatigue both encourage allergic reactions, they can also be symptoms of allergic reactions. Others include "growing pains" and even some learning and attention deficit disorders (see "Hyperactivity" in chapter 91), although conventional physicians generally do not accept that these problems might be caused by food allergies.
One survey of English children who suffered frequent headaches showed that most experienced fewer and less severe headaches when they stopped eating certain foods, particularly eggs, dairy products and wheat. Researchers at Georgetown University believe that food allergies are also responsible for many children's ear problems. Most of the children they studied with chronic ear infections also had food allergies. The allergies usually cleared up when the offending foods were eliminated from the children's diets, and the ear problems returned when the children started eating these foods again.
The first step is to remove the foods that cause the allergic reaction. There is a blood test, available through many holisitically and nutritionally oriented physicians, that checks sensitivities to 96 commonly eaten foods. You can also try to figure out the culprits yourself. Eliminate questionable foods from your child's diet, then add them back one at a time while watching for adverse reactions. Symptoms may reappear in a few hours, but allergic reactions to food may be delayed for several hours or even until the next day. For this reason, you should wait a day or two after reintroducing each food item into the diet. It is easy to see why food allergies often go undetected; it is difficult to imagine that yesterday's ice cream is causing today's headache.
If you're a nursing mom, try changing your diet. The La Leche League, a national organization that advocates breastfeeding, recommends that nursing mothers who are seeking to reduce a baby's digestive problems start by avoiding chocolate, hot spices, peanuts, sugar and foods such as cabbage, which are high in sulfur.
You can also reduce the likelihood of your child having future allergic reactions by giving him herbs that balance the immune system, decrease inflammation and soothe indigestion. Chamomile and marshmallow perform all three of these roles, peppermint and ginger aid digestion and decrease inflammation, and echinacea provides the immune system with discretion in dealing with foreign substances. You will probably not see the effects of these herbs immediately, since it usually takes time to correct food allergies, but they are safe for long-term use.
Allergy Tea
2 cups water
½ teaspoon each echinacea root and marshmallow root
1 teaspoon chamomile flowers
½ teaspoon peppermint leaf
¼ teaspoon ginger rhizome
Combine water and echinacea and marshmallow roots in a saucepan and simmer for about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and add remaining ingredients. Steep for 15 minutes, then strain out herbs. For a 50-pound child, give 1 to 2 cups daily. These herbs can also be used as tinctures; for a 50-pound child, give ½ to 1 dropperful (3060 drops) daily.
Hives, the rashlike skin bumps that can drive kids crazy with itching, are another symptom of food allergy. To stop the itching, sponge the child's skin with a warm herbal wash. If that does not provide enough relief, apply an herbal poultice. Even children who normally object to having a poultice smeared on their skin often accept anything that relieves the discomfort of hives. When these herbs are not available, try a hot bath or shower.
Hives Skin Wash
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon each calendula flowers, chamomile flowers, echinacea root, elder flowers and yarrow flowers
3 tablespoons baking soda
Pour boiling water over herbs and steep for 15 minutes, then strain out herbs. Stir in baking soda. Apply to irritated skin with a soft cloth or a sponge until itching is reduced.
Hives Skin Poultice
¼ cup Hives Skin Wash
3 tablespoons bentonite clay
1 tablespoon slippery elm bark powder
Stir all ingredients into a paste. Let set 5 minutes to thicken. Apply to irritated skin with fingers or a tongue depressor. Let dry on skin and do not remove for at least 30 minutes. Wash off.
My friend's son Ethin complained of headaches so often that I suspected that he had food allergies. Whenever I heard him say he had a headache, I asked him what he had eaten a few hours earlier. Before long, that question made him smile sheepishly because the answer was always the same: ice cream, candy or other sweets.
When he was ten years old, Ethin once spent the night at my house after a holiday meal. He had just fallen asleep when he awoke with an unbearably itchy rash on his arms and chest that was quickly turning into raised welts and spreading all over his body. It was too late to do anything about the particular foods that caused this reaction, but I knew that herbs could stop the itching. Ethin took a cool shower (showing just how uncomfortable he must have been!), then I spread the skin paste on his hives. The itching did not stop right away, so I had to distract him from scratching off the medicine, but he slowly began to relax as the itching subsided. I gave him some Calming Tea (see chapter 95), and he was finally able to drift off to sleep. By morning, all traces of the hives were gone.
You should be aware that hives and rashes that appear shortly after ingesting a substance to which you are allergic can mark the beginning stages of a serious medical emergency. If a child's allergic reaction progresses rapidly to what looks like a total body response—with redness and difficulty breathing—get medical help immediately. Don't try to treat this kind of thing yourself.