Seasonal Allergies and Allergy to Fish

A.-- when my youngest son was only 9 months old he had an allergy to the pollen from grass and trees in the Spring. His eyes swelled shut, nose ran constantly and was miserable for a few weeks when we had him tested. That is the only thing that ever bothered him- he is now 35 years old and that is the only thing he has ever reacted to which is good considering both his sister and I take allergy shots every week for almost everything in the world!!!He works as a landscaper and Spring is awful for him but this is what he loves to do. I am a grandmother to six beautiful children who I love to spoil. R.

Hi A.,

I have two girls with a similar situation. My best advice would be to go see an allergist. My older daughter has "grown" out of her allergies, however my 7 year old has not. So it was a bit frightening everytime she touched, ate, or put something in her mouth. We took her to an allergist- she was tested on almost everything- & now we know what to give her. Hope this helps :)
Good Luck !

Yes... my mother is allergic to bluefish and clams, and that is it. So strange, huh?

And the other ladies are also right about seasonal allergies. I have three kids, and the two with food allergies started in with seasonal allergies even earlier... between 1.5 and 2 years old--before some of the food allergies even showed up. My daughter (who doesn't have food allergies) was 3.5 or 4 years old before the seasonal allergies started.

Hi A.,

It's certainly possible for your little one to have seasonal allergies. My son started to experieince horrible springtime allergies when he was 15-16 mos. I have a fabulous allergist who has given us a great combination of meds to start prior to the season and it keeps his symptoms at bay. I'm not sure about the rash you mentioned . . .

Good luck and let me know if you need a referral to our allerigst. We are in the Princeton, NJ area.

---K.
____@____.com

Every fish has a different make-up, just like every plant does, so yes it's totally possible to be allergic to one kind of fish and not others. Most allergy tests only cover a small variety of fish and nuts and these are not done individually, so if your son only reacts to one kind which was not tested for, then it would not have shown up on the test. Also, be aware that if the tests are positive, many allergists find it easier to tell their patients that they are allergic to "fish" or "tree-nuts" and have them avoid the whole category rather than testing each individually to find out which ones they are allergic to. Also, some people react to certain food items when their immune system is being stressed (teething, illness, in combination with other allergens or following a separate reaction).

If the salmon you gave him was not 100% fresh, plain salmon, carefully check any and all ingredients in any marine/breading/oils etc used on it for his other allergens. Definitely consult your allergist regarding your son's reaction to the salmon and hold off giving it to him again. If you decide to try to re-test/re-introduce salmon in the future, consider setting up an in-office trial with your allergist.

I'm not sure on the seasonal allergy/rash combo, but it's probably possible. Double check all labels for changes in the ingredients of any processed food items you may be using. Also, look into any pesticide/herbicide spraying that has been done in your neighborhood recently as well as any changes that may have occurred in the ingredients in your cleaning/personal care products--especially laundry detergent and fabric softeners.

My daughter was very sick and asthmatic every October and April since she was a baby. Her pediatrician insisted that she was too little for allegies (she was still nursing). I finally took her to an experienced pediatric allergist in Westfield, and found her symptoms were caused by severe dairy and dust mite allergies. Besides avoiding offending foods, we had to dilligently wash bedding, stuffed animals, and remove drapery and carpeting in her bedroom. (The bedroom is the most important room to remediate as they spend the most amount of time there). I hope you can find a good pediatric allergist who can give you the guidance you need with your son.

remember when you first started feeding your bably and you gave one thing for a few days before introducing something else new. try that. also, different fish have differenct things in it. it makes perfect sense that he may be allergic to slamon and not some other fish.
also, ever try going to an allergist. it might help , or better yet, a homeopathic or holistic dr. after you get the results from the allergist.