Can a Food Allergy Affect Urine?

A.,

Hello, while I am not sure if an allergy can cause this problem? I can tell you that I have two daughters ages 4 and 6 and they are sensitive too. They too get very red and say that it hurts. What I do when this happens is just use regular desitin and put it on them and by the next morning they are fine. I think this happens because they do not always wipe that great? They have not had any itching though. I just wonder if she has a yeast infection due to the irritation? I feel for you and her. I know my daughters would feel the same way if they had to go to the Dr too. Hope the desitin idea helps.

Best Wishes, K. E

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Dear A.,

Allergies can absolutely have an effect on this kind of reaction, but it's more likely to be food allergy related than from external products.

I would try to make sure that any soaps (laundry or otherwise) are "green," non toxic, and fragrance free, if possible. If you have a Whole Foods store or a good health food store in your area, you should be able to find products there that fit the bill.

Does your daughter eat a lot of wheat and dairy? If so, she could very well have yeast issues. How does her tongue look? Is there a white coating? That can be a sign of systemic yeast infection (although many people with chronic candida do not have the white coating, so it's not the only thing to look for).

About a year ago, I was diagnosed with candida and several other things. My doctor (an Integrative Medical specialist) took me off all wheat, dairy and sugar. Those three foods encourage yeast in the system, so the sugary drinks could have something to do with it if yeast is the issue. She also put me on a course of supplements. The one supplement she put me on to control the yeast is a probiotic supplement. Yogurt with active cultures is also a wonderful source of probiotics, so you might want to encourage your daughter to eat yogurt at least once a day. Yeast will not balance out by itself. It can take several months to bring the bacteria in the body back into balance, but starving it of wheat, dairy, and sugar is the best way to do it.

If you're interested in the diet that my doctor recommends, and how to follow it, I'll be glad to send an outline of it to you. It's really very easy to eat this way, and it makes a big difference. She recommends this diet to all of her patients, and in over 30 years of practice, she has never had a patient tell her that it didn't improve their lives.

I hope you find a solution to your daughter's condition. The poor thing must be miserable! I know I always have been when I've had a similar problem.

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I'm not clear about how her urine is affected, but this does sound like an allergy, and the stress could be aggravating the allergy to make it worse. I would cut out any soaps, shampoos, laundry detergents, etc... with perfumes or dyes. Use nothing that has fragrance as an ingredient. These things are harmful to everyone's health. Red food dye is a big allergen for a lot of people. Get the sodas and anything with high fructose corn syrup out of the house. Get her allergy tested ASAP. Good luck!

Hi A., first of all, do you let her take baths in bubble bath? My granddaughter kept getting urinary tract infections when she was 3 yrs old. Come to find out it was from bathing in bubble bath. If she don't then I'd get her to the dr. asap.

I am not really sure as to what you are saying. If she's itching, it may be a yeast infection. There are over-the-counter remedies. If it's a urinary tract infection that continues to reoccur, she needs antibiotics because regular cranberry and herbal treatments are unlikely to treat it. However, the herbals can help lessen the uncomfortable feeling. Anything with probiotics in it such as yogurt can help reestablish healthy bacteria in the system. There are also acidophilus capsules she can take as an herbal remedy to help the body regulate healthy bacteria to prevent urinary tract infections and yeast infections. She may need some reminders on healthy cleaning in her private areas. Also, astringent soaps can be too abrasive for some people. She may need a more gentle soap such as Caress, Dove, Oil of Olay or Aveeno. Try using soaps without the antibacterial properties. Try using soaps with extra moisturizers such as shea butter, cocoa butter, jojoba oil, etc. Soaps such as Zest, Dial, Irish Spring and Lever tend to be more abrasive.

A....When I had my little girl the doctor told me not to give her bubble baths. The soap gets inside of you and it causes a rash or worse. If she wants to take a bath it should be with no soap other than ivory. Give that a try. Good luck.

Hi A. - I just wanted to add that I think Dreft does have some fragrance in it that could affect your daughter if she is sensitive. You may want to switch to something like All Free and Clear. I am very sensitive to fragrances in detergent and had to wash hand-me-down maternity clothes several times to get rid of the old detergent because it made me itchy! It sounds like there is more going on than just an allergy but the sensitivity to bubbles and detergent could contribute. Good luck!!!

My 3 year old son has a similar problem and we think that it could be an allergy to the cold weather because that is really the only time that we see this is in the winter time. The rash comes and goes and sometimes itches him. I know a while back I seen a news piece stating that some people are allergic to the cold weather. Debbie

I don't know where you live, but I'd try and see a natural medicine doc or a doctor who specializes in allergies & asthma. We have one here in Fishers. She works with ALOT of kids!

And to answer your ?......YES. Just about everything you eat effects your urine. Color, smell, etc. When I drink coffee, mine even smells different. What you eat & drink have to be eliminate somewhere.

My daughter was also very sensitive to soaps, bubble baths and harsh detergents. I switched over to Melaleuca products; laundry soap, fabric softener, bodywash and tough and tender, which I used for bubble baths. You can contact me if you are interested in these products, but I am sure there are lots of other "safe" things out there now.
My sister's child had urinary tract problems and she uses a product called Clear Tract. It is a white powder D-Mannose, that she mixes with juice and it has prevented any further urinary tract infections. According to the brochure, it makes the urethra "slippery" so bacteria cannot attach itself to it.
I'm sure you know she needs to drink a lot of water to keep things running smoothly. There is a product available in any drugstore, AZO, which is a quick fix for those itchy, burning UTI's. you can find it back by the feminine hygeine stuff.

they can, anywhere from decreased, to increased, to crystalized urine output. better to tell her pediatrician because the kidneys are involved. good luck & God be with you.

I couldn't tell from your post but is the redness and itching only on her vaginal area? I know sugar can really accelerate yeast infections. It's easy enough to get some over the counter yeast infection vaginal cream (monistat or lotrimin) and try it on her. The ped suggested this for my daughter when she was 9 months old so I would guess it's safe for older kids. If the cream helps I would try to give your daughter probiotics daily- either yogurt or culturelle or some other probiotic capsules- I break them open and sprinkle them on my daughter's food.

I am wondering if she may have a yeast infection on her skin. Those are very painful when they get bad. I am still learning about allergies....but am finding that they can affect just about anything. you can try changing her diet.....

My daughter is now 15 but us to wake up at night with an itchy vagina. I always thought that it was because she wasn't washing all the soap out. I came to find out that is is the anti bactiria (sp) soap that she used. It took the natual bacteria out and made her itch. She also has dry skin in areas and it is from exema. Good luck to you!! Hope this helps!!

Could it be? I mean, allergies can cause certain affects on humans..even animals. But also, is she getting enough water in her system. Could she have a yeast infection? I would keep an eye on her liquid intake and bathroom breaks. Maybe fabric softener is affecting her. Check the ingredients on everything. Toilet paper...did you know some toilet paper can cause rashes or even a reaction. I'm allergic to the quilted north. I don't know if it has to do with the little scent that is on it...if its some kind of ingredient that they use to keep it soft and gentle....cuz that's the other one that I'm allergic to. Good Luck.

I agree with the others that it could be a yeast infection. Those can happen with young girls especially because they don't always wipe well. Bubbles can also contribute to them, apparently (although I've never had this happen). Does she make sure she's all dry? Does she wipe front to back?
I've had a yeast infection and I found that those over-the-counter creams just irritate my skin more, so the best thing to do would be to take her to the doctor and get some good meds. Also do some preventative work by making sure she's wiping properly and if you notice things are worse with bubbles, discontinue those. My daughter is 6 and she really likes showers now - that might be something to try :)
Good luck!
J. (mom of 6 yo girl and 3 yo boy, wife of 7 1/2 years)

If she has reactions to her clothes from detergents maybe its also affecting her underwear. If she has frequent reactions I would never switch back to regular just because she clears up. If you don't want to use allergy free for your clothes then buy her separate detergent for her stuff. I often use Purex brand baby. They are way cheaper than dreft. Purex also makes a free and clear fabric softener. I would rather pay $3-$4.00 vs. $10+ for dreft its crazy. My son has very sensitive, crazy allergies and he has done fine with these. As far as a stain remover, we use totally toddler. It's at meijer and babies r us. Purex baby I've only found at meijer also.