Natural Help for Asthma and Allergies

K., let me lead with the fact I am a Peds nurse who has a child, (actually all three have allergies) who is 12 who is probably a carbon copy of your child. I too, wasnt terribly receptive of all kinds of meds. But, after my child suffered MANY asthma attacks and oral steroids and pneumonia three times in K in three months, i had to make a choice. Here are the facts and my opinions. First, how allergic is he to eggs and soy? Is it soybean oil or proteins- they are different. Soy proteins aren't terribly hard to avoid, eggs, well, Alex was allergic to eggs to back then, but not nearly as allergic to nuts. Eggs in small amounts are fine with him, check your child's reaction out and see if he can have it in certain amounts. If it's just an atopic thing (skin rash) you have less to worry about than if his throat closes. The most reliable meds for asthma are those used in the lung. It also means that those items are much less likely to be distributed into his entire body. If you give someting by mouth, it goes all over the body, if you give it in the lung, it pretty much stays all in the lung. One dose of oral steroids, just one single dose = hundreds of doses of steroids in an inhaler. So, the inhaled steroids are much safer and work so much better in the lung. The oral stuff is given when the inhaled kind fails. I wasnt giving Alex anything but SIngulair and he paid dearly for it. Our best bets were Singulair daily (very few side effects, it's used in 1 year olds now with little problems, none that i can think of). We used a peak flow meter daily- it has no medicine but helps you determine when you need to use a neb treatment or an inhaler. It helps establish when a problem day has come up. We used albuterol as our rescue medicine (Xopenex is used more now probably and we use that now), we used Flovent (also an inhaler, but an inhaler with a steroid), and then that was about it. Even being a nurse, i don't like giving my kids meds. BUT, i had to be realistic that some meds, chosen carefully, keep them from major problems and ER visits. The worst thing with the asthma was he would get scared and that makes it worse. I had to drive him once to the MD's office when he couldnt breathe. He had the asthma attack in the car on the way to walmart. He was SCARED. He could not get enough air, it was awful. He was four and a half. Some meds are just to get things under control, then you taper off. A typical morning meant using the peak flow meter, two puffs of flovent, and sometimes albuterol if the peak flow was low enough. At school when his morning peak flow was low, more albuterol. After school, check the peak flow again (again albuterol if necessary), at bedtime singulair chewables or granules, and Flovent two puffs. It may seem daunting, but the alternative can be much worse, harder on his body and harder on you. OH, something we loved as we were learning to use an inhaler, something called an Inspirease. It is a type of spacer that a little person can use. You can use it with any inhaler. It's actually got a chamber you can view as it goes flat, so you know they got it all. And, many times his meds were seasonal with the singulair being all year. Please feel free to send me any messages if you want. I will help if i can. The ideas about cleaning his room, etc..are rock on, but you can't clean up the outdoors, and that also makes his immune system work better. Please dont be fooled into thinking you can do this without any meds, many, many times parents find out the really HARD way that they can't. Try to find some middle ground that makes you feel okay about it and him not to suffer..Good luck..I have been there before..

C

We do a Claritin each day as well, but here are some natural things too!

Apple juice- a glass a day is supposed to help prevent asthma attacks

Allergen cases on all pillows and mattress (Target has some good ones that aren't too crazy expensive.)

Remove the carpet from his room- hardwood holds less dust
Remove stuffed animals- if he sleeps with one, you should wash it frequently

Wash all bedding weekly on a very hot cycle to kill the mold and dustmites

Make sure you are vacuuming frequently. Especially under the bed. Use the "beater" part of an upright vacuum on his mattress frequently (the part you would use on the floor, the rollers will beat out the spores and dustmites.) I also heard that a mattress that is 10 years old doubles it's weight. A pillow that is 5 years old doubles it's weight. The extra weight is dead skin, dust, dust mites. Might want to buy him a new mattress too!! (Ikea ones aren't that expensive)

Make sure you have a good vacuum. Rainbow vacuums are expensive, but worth it. They use water in the bottom and everything sticks to the water and isn't released back into the air. You can even turn it on while not actively using the vacuum for a few minutes to catch all the dust floating in the air!

Local honey- farmer's markets are the only place I've been able to find this, but maybe you can find a local bee keeper. Local honey is made from, obviously, bees who use local pollen, which helps prevent allergies to those plants! What kid doesn't love a spoonful of honey!? Or toss it into a smoothie if they do! :)

Air purifiers- get one you can vacuum and/or rinse the filter. You can buy them at Walmart even and they really do catch dust. I would get one for the bedroom at the very least. I run ours constantly and you'd be surprised how much dust it collects.

There is something I heard this morning called an ozone light that is supposed to help kill mold and bacteria in the air, but I haven't researched it.

We do vitamins every morning. We use NurtiStars by Rainbow Light (got them at drugstore.com) they have lots of vitamins, iron, etc and even veggie extracts. Good to keep him well if all illness goes straight to the lungs.

Good rugs by the doors- inside and out. Most dust comes in the house from the outside. A good rule would be no shoes in the house too!

A neti pot (also from drugstore.com) I was VERY dubious about this for my daughter (she's 7 also) and she actually LOVES it!! Just make sure you use warm water or it will sting. Basically, if you don't know, it's a little teapot looking thing that you pour water into one nostril and it flows out the other, rinsing the allergens, snot, etc from your nose. My daughter uses it at night and ASKS me to use it if I forget. This is a girl who won't put her face in the pool, mind you! It feels wonderful once you can get used to it (maybe two times before you're a pro!)

Otherwise, I would also make a rule to wash hands a lot to keep from getting sick. There is some debate about whether antibacterial soap is good or bad. We use regular soap (well, she uses Cetaphil because she also has eczema on her hands) but I do put hand wipes in her lunchbox because they don't wash before eating at school, and we wash hands as soon as she comes in the door from school, and before each meal, and obviously after going to the bathroom EVERY time!

For cleaning, I use vinegar. There was an article, I think in TIME magazine, can't remember- one of the biggies, that white vinegar actually kills more germs than bleach! I use it with water on the counters diluted with a little water, in the bathroom, etc. I even mist it on the couch and chairs, etc. The smell evaporates really quickly, but I have heard of some people putting a few drops of orange essential oil in the mix as well. It is also a great laundry softener. (You might want to change to a free and clear laundry soap too- I use the Meijer naturals brand and it's been great- we've used it for over a year now with no allergy or laundry probs.)

Hope this helps. Also, I don't know which allergist you went to, but Dr. Ghani almost killed me- whatever you do, beware of him. I heard that HomeFirst does an allergy testing process on the hand while the child watches a video that is supposed to have better results than the skin test in the back. I believe I heard that it's a pressure test, but not sure on that. We are planning to have that done this summer.

Natural foods might help you too- pesticides can make our bodies do odd things. We try to eat organic (Woodman's is good) and dairy can make you stuffy sometimes too. My daughter likes the chocolate almond milk and doesn't mind rice milk either. You could give those a try. Remember, most allergens (food wise, at least), take 10-14 days to completely clear your system.

Feel free to contact me if you want! Allergies can be so hard.

Hugs,
M.

PS- I do want to add, as someone who suffers from asthma myself, that you do need a rescue inhaler for him both at school and at home and probably another in the car.

K.,
I am a mom and a respiratory therapist. I understand as a mom your reluctance to give your child medications. I have many patients that are reluctant to using their medications because they don't want to introduce chemicals into their systems or to over medicate. I read the responses and the pedi RN is right on the money with what she said.

If you use inhalers or a nebulizer with medications the medication is topical in the lungs and does it's job there without have much if any affect on the rest of the body. Inhaled medications are not systemic. The mistake people make when resisting using daily prescribed medications is that they end up causing more episodes of exacerbated flair ups and they tend to be harder to manage and/or recover from. Maintaining your childs health through a regular routine of stabilizing medication is a better approach than to allow major swings in the child's health status and it tends to cause much less residual damage from scarring etc. Also Singular is a great medication and I highly recommend it. I have one daughter that has similar problems to your child's. Singular and Albuterol in a nebulizer or MDI have been all she has needed since being treated and managing her health. I wish you the best.

I'm not sure of run-of-the-mill allergies, but I do know that asthma can be a life or death situation. I knew an 8 year old boy who died from an asthma attack. I don't think you should be fooling around with natural remedies for something potentially fatal. I would think at the very least, he needs his inhaler.

K.:
This has to be tough on the whole family, but especially to both of you. It's great that you are looking into alternative things and really investigating what you can do to help your child - in the end, it will help your whole family.

Unfortunately,we are exposed to so many things in the air and we can't live in a bubble. It is a good idea to really "Go Green" and get rid of all of your household cleaners that aren't botanically based, what you use for your laundry and what you use for every day washing - soaps, shampoos, etc. Anything that has a dye, chemical, fragrance, etc. is a potential hazard for him...and even the rest of you.

Boosting his immune system with vitamins and eating as many healthy foods as possible (try to eliminate fast foods as best as you can). Going green doesn't mean that you can't live life! You just do it in a more healthy way!

I've been doing this for 10 years and have noticed the difference in our health. Now, I don't worry about the doctor bills and how many vacations I must have sent them all on. I pay for healthier alternatives that will keep us clean, safe and promote long term health.

K., this is what I do - I educate people on healthy alternatives as I have learned the hard way myself. Try using a room purifier as well when he sleeps. Do you have pets? Think of all the things you use on a daily basis that you either eat, breathe in, use to wash your clothes with or put on your body. People with a multitude of allergies are very susceptable to the things that they come into contact with that have irritants - maybe most people don't see or feel but they do!

I would be happy to do what I can to help you. It's a big task to undertake, but for the sake of your son, I know you will do what it takes. Again, you will all be better for it!

K.

I take quercitin as a homeopathic remedy. I would suggest that you also watch your cleaning supplies and try to go green. I found with my asthma that cleaning supplies were a big trigger for me. As for the inhalers, there has been research done that patients using preventative inhalers with long term use fair far better than those that don't. I still don't use mine. I would also look into probiotics. I would also add using a netti pot to his daily routine to clean out the nasal passages.

I feel for you & your little guy & I commend your efforts to seek a natural solution for your son.
I suffered with chronic sinusitis from age 11 into my forties. I saw specialists & had my sinus' xrayed & washed out. They couldnt tell much from the scratch test but I was told I had airborne allergies. So how do you control what you breathe? I tried accupuncture, chinese herbs & chiropractic treatment.
Out of desperation I saw a woman who practices SAT. Self-Acceptance Training helped me connect the chronic sinusitis to & release emotions around a traumatic event at age 11. Children your sons age & younger can pick up the energy of their parents emotional stuff. Once I worked through & released the sadness & anger I strengthened my immune system with several courses of liquid (most potent) echinacea & golden seal (2 weeks on 1 week off) & antioxidant rich foods. Also have you tried homeopathic remedies? Kali bichonium (spelling?)gave me some relief. Its easy to take & easy to find.
There are so many alternatives to traditional meds & it's about finding what works for you & your son.

Hi K.,
One of the moms suggested that you go green and I can't tell you how important that is. SIX MEDS FOR A CHILD! No way! There's a free health & wellness webcast that I'd like to invite you to. It's online and free; only takes about 30 minutes. Today there's a 12pm, 1pm & 8pm. Would you like to join me?

Meanwhile, did you know.....

"Since 1980, asthma has increased by 600%. The Canadian Lung Association and the Asthma Society of Canada identify common household cleaners and cosmetics as triggers." (Dr. Joyce Woods)

Oust Sanitizer Warning Label (which is not stated on the commercials) "Before using product throughout your home, use in one room and wait 24 hours to ensure that no one has any physical reactions to the product. ASTHMA & ALLERGY Sufferers
Consult your physician before using this product in your home."
http://www.walgreens.com/store/product.jsp?CATID=100466&a...

Go through your home and read the Warning Labels on all household products you currently use. What are you washing your son's clothes with that he's inhaling while he's sleeping? LOOK AT EVERYTHING! You'll be surprised at what you find. My personal experience, this same webcast is the reason why I've been migraine free for almost 4 years. Not taking any Imitrex, Excedrine Migraine, or even herbal supplements. None of them are necessary.

~M.
###-###-####

Hi K.-I am so glad to see that you are seeking some other alternatives. Let me give you some background info--I have been studying holistics for 7 years specializing in organics and herbalogy and have 4 children. There are so MANY things that you can do for your son's condition naturally. First, I would recommend that you go to www.mercola.com and do some research on his website. It is a wonderful source of information. Next-get rid of any artificial fragrances that you use in your home-i.e. plug ins, candles, perfumed soaps, laundry detergent, aerosol sprays, etc...start eliminating things from his eating regimen-first dairy-that is one of the main culprits and so is gluten and ALL processed foods. Green tea, licorice, ephedra (of course in its natural form), tomato and ginkgo. Acupuncture and chiropractic are essential and help greatly.

I do not know where you live but I deal with a wonderful lady who owns a health food store in Niles off of Milwaukee called A Way of Life. There is so much info on asthma and allergies that it is too long to write. If you want more just send me a personal message.

I do not agree with drugs or "prescriptions." They compromise the bodies immune system and that is why your son is having so many issues. He will not get healthy overnight, it is a process!! Kudos!!

T.

Visit my site www.gopillfree.com. I suffered for years with allergies and my son (now 4-1/2) had bad ezcema as a baby and toddler. I was introduced by a friend who was already taking a product called Body Balance. It is a whole food natural source of vitamins and nutrients. This appealed to me because there was no risk of toxicity or overdose. After a couple months of taking the product daily, I was able to kick the expensive Claritin habit and found myself able to think clearer and not feel like I was walking around with a stuffy head. Yeah! There are thousands of people who take the product because it is safe for all ages, and it can't hurt. My son's ezcema has disappeared since taking the product religiously for 2 years. Although while on vacation, we ran out of product and after a week, he developed small patches of ezcema on his legs and arms. It went away as soon as we were back to having our Body Balance daily. I was so impressed by the product that I now recommend it to EVERYONE.
e-mail me if you have any questions, ____@____.com
I hope this helps, also you can get a free full size bottle to try out for yourself on my website, and if you live on the Northside, I have some taster samples I could give you.

My son also has asthma and allergies. The first culprit is the dairy products. You have to wean your family off all dairy products. Do some internet work on the excess mucus build up in the body caused by dairy. We us non-soy based nut milks like hemp or almond milk--yes it is clearly more expensive. It will be hard to eliminate dairy but start with the milk for cereal and drinking first. Next, I give my kids 1000 mg of vitamin c every day. I use a buffered crystalized formula and put it in OJ. You can drop back to 500 mg in when out of allergy season.

We tried the chiroprac. route with me son, now 12. Didn't make any difference. Allergy shots were our saving grace. I am a big proponent. We were on nebulizer treatments and a whole list of other medications. Now we are med free (except those nasty virus flare-ups) for 4 years. Also, have you tried saltwater irrigation for the nose? It's simply making a solution of warm water and regular salt and then squirting it into the nostrils and letting it flow back out into the sink or shower. (Using a medical syringe without the needle.) It really clears out the congestion. My son still uses it when he gets a cold.

The best thing for the lungs,is a correct breath.He needs to learn never breathe through the mouth.Pranayama and massage can really help and cure.
You can call me at ###-###-####.I can explain more.
Natalya (a healer and a yoga teacher)

Dear K.,

One of my best friends is a holistic chiropracter who works with children. Her name is Dr. Helen Lee. Her offices is in Hoffman Estates, but it only takes me about 30 - 35 minutes to get there from my place in Oak Park. She has been able to do some amazing things with allergies. She she uses a number of different techniques depending on what needs to be done.

I've been going to Dr. Lee for years. My 20-month old daughter still sees her every week and absolutely loves it. Here is a link to her website if you want to learn more: http://www.touchoflifechiro.com/

Best of luck. I hope this helps.

Sincerely,

L.

Hi K.,

My son was also diagnosed with asthma and allergies when he was 5 years old. He also suffered from severe psoriasis from allergies to grass, and so every summer his feet, hands, arms, or wherever grass touched him would turn into oozing sores and spread. I took my son to the OakBrook Allergy group which has an office in Plainfield at the Edwards'Hospital Outpatient Center. I also did not want my son living on allergy medicine because the side effects are really terrible. My husband and I opted for allergy shots and he has been taking them since he was five years old. He is now 14 and he no longer has asthma or is affected by the psoriasis. He now takes allergy shots on a once-per-month basis and is doing very, very well.

My husband and I both took these shots when we were little and have had no adverse effects from them. Also, the research that I did on the allergy shots did not seem to show any evidence to support adverse effects of the shots as well.

I don't know of any "natural" products that really help with this problem and if the allergies are not dealt with, the asthma will get more and more progressive.

I hope this helps.

Bio-Set..........I used to take medication 24/7 and allergy shots for 20 years and still had problems with my allergies. Bio-set has eliminated my allergies. I am now medication free. You can get more information on Bio-set via the web. Try to Google it. I have found that many Chiropractors and Acupuncturist offer the Bio-set. It is noninvasive ands works.

My granddaughter has the same problem. A nutritionist suggested we try keeping her off all milk products for a month to see what the results are. Instead try soy or almond milk, but no cheese, etc. Just a suggestion.

Susan G.

K.,

My son has reactive airway disease and he is 3. We were told he had allergies but he didn't test positive until we did a blood test with a naturopath. He is allergic to all sorts of things!!! ANyway, she is walking us through all the things that we need to do naturally- avoiding certain foods for a period of time and being on probiotics.

If you would like to consult with a naturopath, we see Dr. White and her number is ###-###-####. She is hooked in with an M.D. and can at least let you know what she thinks may or may not help.

Good Luck.
J.

K.,

Research shows: THERE IS A PROFOUND RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WELLNESS AND ABSORPTION. This means, there may be a relationship between your sons allergies and asthma and his ability to absorb! Within the digestive track there should be a host of friendly bacteria which was created to help us digest/assimilate our food AND protect us from toxins.

When we have an imbalance in this friendly bacteria, we don’t properly assimilate our food. Toxins and undigested food can enter our bloodstream and contribute to our lack of wellness.
So, if we have anything as minor as allergies to as severe as cancer-(“including your, migraines, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, etc...”) we know we must also have an imbalance in these friendly bacteria.

I used to think we all – already have this bacteria, I mean we come with it right? But, I found out, that we are INOCULATED with it only one of two ways:

2 ways to get it:
Breast feeding from a healthy mom-
Being born through a healthy birth canal

LOTS OF WAYS TO LOSE IT:
High Sugar diet
Medication, birth control, steroids, radiation, etc
Chlorine

Evidence of this imbalance is seen many ways:
ALLERGIES, IBS, Crohn’s, Thrush
Auto-immune, ASTHMA, Lupus
Chronic Fatigue and FIBROMYALGIA
Just to name a few……
If there is a profound relationship on well we are and how well we absorb:
Then:
1. Doesn’t it make sense to work on correcting the health of the intestinal area?
2. And if we supplement-do it with nutrition that is in essence “already digested”.
3. WELL THAT DESCRIBES ISOTONIC NUTRITION!
“Can you imagine a day, when they will take a swab of the inside of your cheek…and you will receive a CUSTOMIZED FORMULA OF YOUR NUTRICEUTICAL BASED ON YOUR DNA ANALYSIS?”

Well that is where my company is going! And for now, we are starting with this-The Nutriphysical. WHY DON’T YOU FILL IT OUT? It’s free. Here is the link: https://www.marketamerica.com/happinessinc/index.cfm?acti...

Just click: Log in to take the Nutri-Physical™
It will ask you to register as a Preferred Customer. We DO NOT sell the contact information! We have over 3 million satisfied customers ordering their custom products from us monthly.
You may contact me directly at: ###-###-#### or ____@____.com
Good luck,
T. H.

Did you try rubbing his chest with Vicks? It opens up the sinus passages real well and will help him sleep. Only a suggestion. Good luck

Hi K.,

I never really believed all those people who claim to have food sensitivities to tons of different things...until it happened to us! Turns out my son and I are allergic to corn, which is in almost ALL prepared foods. The minute we stopped eating it our health improved. I have since realized that my asthma which produces a hideous deep wracking cough is allergen related. Heavy Chlorine, corn, smoke etc all set me off.

I would consider going to an MD who works with dietary things. I don't know where you live but this kind of stuff is still considered "alternative" although it probably shouldn't be any more. My 4 year old has severely delayed speech, within a month of taking him off gluten and dairy his speech skills just increased tremendously. I would never have believed it if I hadn't seen it. Although major diet changes are a pain if it works for your child it's always worth it!

K.

Hi K., I have been a Distributor for an all natural vitamin and antioxidant drink. It tastes good - our 4 children have been taking it for over a 1 1/2 years. My son was born with exzcema and mild allergies to anything but cotton and hay, grass and cats. It took about 3-4 months - but - he no longer is on any topical creams or prescriptions for his exzcema - he was never on prescription for allergies - we gave childrens Claritin and then Benadryl cream....but, I never felt good about that, either.
Our whole family takes this daily and it MAY help with his allergies. It has natural whole food in it that packs a vitamin, antioxidant and mineral powerhouse. It primarily consists of wild blueberries - which are your number one in antioxidants. - These basically flush toxins from your body.
Another thing you may look into is an air purifier for your home - keep researching the all natural things - try some - it may take his little body awhile to build up what good things you put into it. Our foods are so tainted with things today - that everyone should be on a very good, strong antioxidant of some kind - all natural.
Look at my business on this site - Kyani. My website is listed there. Good luck to you and your son, K..

D. V.

I'm so happy to hear you're looking for a more natural approach. We see Dr. Josephine Polich in Naperville, a homeopath. We started seeing her on a recommendation fr a friend after my DS dvlpd eczema at 1 mo. He's 3 now, and still has it a little, but responded tremendously to homeopathic treatmetn. I didn't want to use steroid creams b/c of the side effects and homeopathy doesn't have any known side effects. here's my son's story (which includes peanut and now cashew allergies, too) if you want to read it:
http://www.dupagehomeopathic.com/testimonials/eczema2.pdf
BTW, he also doesn't need benadryl if he accidentally eats something w/ a peanut in it or whatever else he's allergic to... he vomits instead of breakign out into hives (a good progression -- the body rejects what it can't process) and then he starts to get a littel bit of hives. I give him his remedy and it's gone in 2 minutes. Nothing further. SO AWESOME.

My sis, who's had asthma since a little girl (now 34), has had wonderful results from Dr. Polich. She rarely needs to use her inhaler anymore b/c she can take a remedy instead. She's going to take a while to heal, but it's truly remarkable the effects homeopathy has had. Plus, if she can take something that has no side effects and lasts a gizzilion times longer than an inhaler, that's at least better than inhaling steroids for the rest of her life!
Here's a newsletter Dr. Polich wrote about asthma:
http://www.dupagehomeopathic.com/newsletters/asthma.pdf

Dr. P. is giving a free seminar on homeopathy on 3/15 in Naperville from 10-12. I'll be there, too! The info is on her website: www.dupagehomeopathic.com.
Feel free to email me offlist if you want to talk more!
Best of luck to you and your son...
Jen S. (Naperville)

My daughter was diagnosed with asthma & allergies when she was
1yr old. I have been taking her to the chiropractic since then and she hardly ever uses her nebulizer or is on meds.
Not sure where you live. We live in Bloom/Normal IL and if the chiropractic wouldn't been able to help her, he would have told us. I seen what she went thru. I hope you will
think about this. If you think about it, if your spine is not lined up, you will have problems. Plus chiropractic keeps you healthy. Good Luck!!!

My family goes to a wonderful holistic doctor in St. Charles. Dr. Masud at Light House Family Chiropractic is so knowledgeable and has successfully treated asthma and allergies, in fact it is a passion of his. Please give him a call - he will be happy to discuss your child's situation on the phone - just tell him M. Albert referred you. The number to call is: ###-###-####. Let me know how it goes!

I'm assuming he's afraid of shots. Did they consider a shot once a week? I'm an adult that is allergic to dust, trees, weeds, and cat dander. I stay plugged up most of the time and at times get the itchy eyes and nose too. I took shots for over a year and then quit when I got pregnant. I remained symptom free for quite awhile after that. I've been told that many people that take the shots for five or more years can sometimes develop an immunity to the allergy and not be troubled later in life.

Not sure what kind of remedies you can seek. With trees and weeds I can eat honey from the area and that helps me with that one, but the dust has been my biggest problem. I have nothing to help me with that outside of shots because it is everywhere. Even medicines were fairly ineffective because they made my heart race or wore off before I was due for the next dose. I also found with many they knocked me out or made me feel like I couldn't think clearly.

My personal feelings he would be best served by shots if that is an option at all.

I do have some information on what you can do to alleviate the asthma. If you like, leave me your phone number in my regular email ____@____.com. I will phone you with some information you can use. My name is Debbie. If you prefer, write me and I'll write back with the information, either way is fine.

Hi K.,
Our entire family has gone thru the allergy nightmare. I would suggest looking into gluten as a possible bottom line cause. Gluten can cause all kinds of problems, not just the ones normally associated with it. Check out www.enterlab.com There is a lot of great info on there. Email me if you want anymore detail info. Going gluten free can be the best thing for your health and many times other problems will clear up if the gut is not too damaged already.
There are so many great gf items available now that it is not too difficult like it used to be when we went gf 10 years ago.
Best to you,
C.

Hi K.,
I believe that you are doing the right to limit if possible the amount of medicines your son is taking.
There are numerous studies linking allergies & asthma to household cleaners.
I am attaching some of those studies to educate not scare you.
Please contact me if you are interested in a safer, non toxic, inexpensive alternative.

Environmental Protection Agency studies have shown that indoor air pollution can be 3 to 70 times higher than outdoors.
Almost 50% of all illness is due to poor indoor air quality [1989 State of Massachusetts Study]

In an EPA report to the US Congress regarding the Indoor Air Quality Act of 1989, they stated that indoor air quality is one of the nation’s most important environmental health problems.

“Chemicals have replaced bacteria and viruses as the main threat to health. The diseases we are beginning to see as the major causes of death in the latter part of (the 1900's) and into the 21st century are diseases of chemical origin.” [Dr. Dick Irwin, Toxicologist, Texas A&M University]

Some products release contaminants into the air right away, others do so gradually over a period of time. Some stay in the air up to a year. These contaminants, found in many household and personal care products can cause dizziness, nausea, allergic reactions, eye/skin/respiratory tract irritations and some cause cancer. [American Lung Association]

In one decade, there has been a 42% increase in asthma (29% for men, 82% for women). The higher rate for women is believed to be due to women’s longer exposure times to household chemicals. [Center for Disease Control]

Info on Asthma from the American Lung Assoc: http://www.alaw.org/asthma/asthma_handbook/triggers_know_...

K.,
You should watch this video on a family whose boy had asthma and they switched to natural cleaners which helped.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=424FAcgPdI0
This is one solution, in addition to chiropratic care and supplements. My family has been seeing a chiroprator for a few years now and I do not have headaches any more and very few colds. I use to get sinus infections frequently. Let me know if you have any questions.
A.

we tore out ehr carpet and put bamboo floors in, we got her a new matress with special allergenic coverings on everythign the matress, box spring and pillow cases no drapes in her room and an air purifier wbut some say those are worse. it has helped her and we have her down to zytech only at night and it was 2 tsp and now 1 tsp but she lieks it to help her sleep though the night other wise she is up. she had her adenoids removed twice and tubes twice and we give her no milk/dairy and that helps. i am sure there are more foods that are the culprits. we do patch testing as well as rast test and skin test and we just go by too how she reacts. liek the milk in seconds she is coughing and bugars galore.
my husband wasnt to ripout all our carpet but ugh not yet for me. We use all natural seventh generation type stuff for cleaning and laundry and dishes.
good luck
J.

Hi! My family and I see a Natural Dr. If you want I can give you her information. She is in St. Charles and does take insurance. Some things I can suggest is Baths with Epsom Salts (to draw out anything) with Eucluptys (sp) oil and Peppermint essestial oil. My Natural Dr. does something called "Raindrop" therapy that is very effective for breathing. Put a humidifier in his room with some Eucluptys oil in there about 10 drops. He prob. has other food allergies that you may not be aware of. His lungs must have a weak spot. My son has that too. I give him Eichenasea everyday in his juice. Goldenseal is also good for infections. Just put 1/2 ml in his juice cup. Let me know if I can be of any more assistance. Thanks. Good Luck.

Hi Keri - Natural approaches to allergies include reducing inflammation with nutrients that are anti-inflammatory, building immune function with nutrients,providing nutrients that are a natural decongestant. It's a bit like a recipe! Purifying the indoor air, especially your son's room, and reducing exposure to toxins (laundry, cleaning products etc) are all things that together make a huge difference. THis along with immuno therapy - shots, can get him to the other side of things - it take time as it's a rebuilding process.

Mother Earth aka K. Hanrahan
www.bestwellnessconsultant.com

K.,

I am a Shaklee distributor and think that having all natural cleaners can help a lot with the asthma and allergies. There are so many toxins in the air from the harsh chemical cleaners we use it causes various health problems for us all. Shaklee has multi vitamins too. I just put my 9 month old on the infant mulitvitamin. It has 23 more vitamins then the products you find at the store. Since he spends three days a week in day care he comes in contact with a lot of stuff. If you would like additional information on Shaklee products please contact me at ____@____.com

I have suffered with these type of allergies for 10 years. There is no miracle cure. I was on 25 medications per day at one time. I am now down to 4. My daughters have similar allergies they inherited from me - it's miserable - but you can either teach him to be whiny about it, or to toughen up and realize that life is not perfect, he must roll with this and make the best of it or he will always be unhappy.

Do you live in the Chicagoland area? I have a great allergist who has prescribed something unique which helps. I take a double dose of Singulair - one in the morning and one at night. My asthma has almost completely cleared up and I am only triggered by strong chemical smells or sometimes by a virus if I get a cold.

ALSO - the reason the singulair is working is because I have completely changed my diet too. MOLDS are anything which is fermented. That includes Beer, Wine, Vinegars (dressings), all Cheese (particularly cream cheese), anything with yeast (breads), and mushrooms.

In other words I avoid all cheese and breads - I eat tortillas instead. He would be able to eat muffins and cakes which are risen with something other than yeast.

Changing my diet is the singular HUGEST thing which has changed my life so I can live again.

I drink milk, however, some asthma people although not allergic to milk are sensitive to milk because it produces more mucus. So once you eliminate all the molds from his diet, then you can test out the milk theory on him.

Also - mold season is in the Spring when it's rainy season and in the Fall when the leaves come off the trees. Even with all my preventative measures, I still tend to get bronchitis and other infections during these seasons - so start him on all his medications right before March and then again right before October.

Dust - you will need to keep the air filter on your furnace completely cleaned. Wash all his bedding two times a week in extra hot water. No exceptions. Put his pillows in the dryer on high for 30 minutes once per week and make sure you use allergen covers for the beds and pillows. Do not let him in the house when you are cleaning - the kicked up dust will trigger a reaction - if he has to be in the house - have him wear a doctors face mask.

I also have a special air fan/filter in my room and the kids rooms which I run 24 hours a day. Do not use ANYTHING that says "ionizing" - it causes asthmatics to have a reaction because it creates a bi-product called "ozone" which is detrimental to the lungs. ONLY USE A FAN/FILTER WITH THE WORDS "TRUE HEPA."

I want to tell you the truth - - that there is no cheating. I used to think, "what would a piece of pizza do?" or "I won't wash the sheets this week." I would end up in asthma hell. So no matter if people give you a hard time or not - NO CHEESE means NO CHEESE. I've found that very few people understand what it's like to be your son and suffer every single day. He is also probably in pain - in his face and perhaps his ears - when he is having reactions. No one gets it and very few people are helpful. So you have to be strong and take things into your own hands. He is not a hypochondriac. He is sick, and like me, needs to pay attention every day to what he eats and how he lives so that he can feel better.

OH - one last thing - one of the most powerful things you can do to help him is teach him how to do a "sinus rinse". Let's say he's come in from school on a cold/rainy October day. His sinus's are filled with molds from the outdoors. If you lay him down to bed he will have those molds in his system all night - so whenever he comes in from outside during "the seasons" make sure you have him wash his hands, face and rinse his sinus's very well. You will be amazed at how better he feels if you do this regularly. Ask your doctor how to do a sinus rinse if you do not know how.

Good luck - this is really a tough thing. But I've been there and understand.

If you need help, you can phone me - ###-###-#### or email me at ____@____.com. I don't normally post my personal info, but I have been there and don't want anyone else to suffer.

Right now I'm writing a book on better health and am nearly finished with it - you can go to my website to learn more about it - www.thecasualgardener.com - - I found out that stress is one of the key things which triggers on-going allergy problems. Therefore, trying to inspire people to reduce their stress and feel better about themselves and life is one of my goals. No one should have to suffer like I have and like your son is right now. It's a miserable experience.

Best of luck,

S.

I see you've had a lot of feedback so I'll keep this short and sweet. I take my son to a holistic physician in Glenview, and we are very happy with him. His name is Tom Bayne.

Holistic physicians/chiropractors treat allergic individuals using natural remedies. After assessing your son's needs, they would know best what to recommend.

Chiropractic care is the best. I has worked for all four of my children. It has saved my twins from having to have tubes in their ears and their adnoids taken out. Both of the twins were on allergy meds and one of them had allergy induced asthma(maybe not as bad as your son), but nonetheless still extended stays in the hosp, nebulizer at home, etc. It has been 2 1/2 years since she has had any type of serious asthma problems(she is very sensitive to some smells of candles and that can trigger her to need a couple of puffs from an inhaler, but nothing like we were doing before). I could go on and on, but I wont. You can google chiropractic care for children..here is just one link you can look at http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/12/16/19.html
Good luck and feel free to email me with any questions!

I started seeing a holistic chiropractor about a year ago. I have suffered from allergy induced asthma for 33 years. I still take claritin daily and use an inhaler once or twice a day. Sometimes not at all. My doc had me stop eating all dairy, soy and wheat products. My son has the same problems and is on the same restrictions. He went 10 months without using his nebulizer.
My doc's name is Joseph Harbosky - Reflections of Life. He is in Warrenville. My son and I do take natural supplements daily but they are geared toward healing not covering up symptoms.

I highly recommend acupuncture - they can get rid of allergies.

Best of luck, S.

Oftentimes allergies are caused by a lack of intestinal flora. If you can get him on probiotics and work on boosting his immune system, that will greatly help with his allergies. It will not happen immediately, but working on building up his good bacteria in his gut will benefit him hugely for the rest of his life. There is a product that you can buy online at www.drbenkim.com/greens that really helps with this. It's a green food supplement that has TONS of vitamins, minerals, enzymes and probiotics. Buy a jar and everyone in your family can take it for a huge nutritional boost. (NOTE: I do not sell this stuff, I've just taken it and recommended it to friends and it has done miraculous things!) You can also boost your sons immune system by feeding him as many onions, garlic, ginger as you can. Green leafy vegetables are also a great way to help him out. Kale, spinach, collard greens, mustard greens, parsley, arugula etc. are all REALLY good for your intestines which will in turn help him with these allergies.

Also, make sure he is getting enough pure water to drink. Asthma is sometimes a response to dehydration.

I hope this helps.

I'm a health counselor and would love to talk with you more if you're interested. You can find out more about me at www.darcyadams.com.

Best of luck to you and your son!

K.-
I regularly see children in the office with symptoms very similar to your childs. Finding a pediatric chiropractor in your area may help his body heal and function the way its supposed to. Really those are the best days when a mom comes back to the office with a child who can breath once again.

www.flowchiropractic.com
www.icpa4kids.org

J.

K..
Have you considered seeing a Chiropractor? I know that may sound strange as it did when I found out about one in my area. Many in this field are much more focused on holistic treatment and treating allergies etc, not just pain and joint issues. I met a Dr. with this kind of practice and was amazed at the little children being successfully treated in his office for allergies, etc. I never realized the connection, but the testimonials were amazing as were the chilren I saw in his office. Just a thought. I am not sure where you are located, but I would be happy to give you more info. on what to look for. I know that it is a specialty within the field. It is certainly worth a shot rather than all that medication.
Hope that helps.