Why Am I Having Allergies During Menopause?

Baby Allergies

Menopausal changes that occur during change of life have been linked to over 34 symptoms, some of which are quite unusual. Unlike the familiar menopausal symptoms of hot and cold flashes, heavy unusual sweating, irritability, mood swings, and lapses in memory, for example, many menopausal women are experiencing unexpected allergic reactions. And so, instead of seeking relief from the predictable symptoms, some women find themselves asking, "Why am I having allergies during menopause?

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Change of Life Reactions to Substances And Pollens

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Allergy is described by Webster's Dictionary as, "Abnormal or pathological reaction to environmental substances as pollens, foods, dust, or microorganisms." Pollen is described as, "Dustlike, usually yellow grains containing the male reproductive cells of flowering plants." Many people, especially children may suffer from various reactions to pollens. However, for many women, any substance during menopause is their first encounter.

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Reacting to various substances during change of life is of great concern to the women who are affected. Some of the frequently reported symptoms include: bouts of severe hay fever that present like the common cold; reactions from various foods, fragrances and or perfumes; and asthmatic attacks. I was surprised when a close friend recently told me that her doctor prescribed "an Asthma-pump" for her. With further inquiry, she revealed being thrown in a quandary when she developed frequent bouts of asthma. She said no one in her family has asthma, and she had no prior history herself. However, after many years of being menopausal, she had several frightening experiences with difficulty breathing; tightening in her chest; and wheezing. After various potions and remedies, she was referred to a Pulmonary Specialist who has been added to her list of doctors.

Another acquaintance related a similar story of developing unusual skin reactions during change of life. After months of being menopausal, she reported breaking out in hives and itchy skin on several occasions. Concerned, she visited several doctors, and finally, an Allergist, who determined that her reaction was to fish. The doctor informed her that these reactions during change of life were becoming quite common; and that her skin condition was due to the fish with a hormone-menopause connection. Her avoidance of fish has relieved her symptoms.

The Allergy-hormone Connection

Some women might never experience allergies during menopause. However, for women who do, they can be assured that although the symptoms might be subtle and challenging to diagnose, many doctors are making the connections between these unusual hormonal responses change of life. Women are therefore being encouraged that a visit to the doctor should not be rushed. Time should be spent to explain to the doctor (a) any physical, mental, or lifestyle changes that occurred since her last visit (b) all symptoms being experienced - no matter how mild (c) ask what the doctor thinks might be causing the changes (d) if the doctor suggests treatment, ask for explanations and for alternate treatments (e) explain any past, present and family history that might be related to the allergies. The information you provide your doctor might assist in making a connection between the possible causes of your allergies during menopause.

Why Am I Having Allergies During Menopause?

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Infant Sleep Disorder - Baby Sleep Solution

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Have you ever heard of Infant Sleep Disorder? If you have a new infant, you're probably painfully aware that their sleeping habits are different from an adult's. They need to sleep significantly more than you (often as much as 16 hours a day), but they don't sleep the same hours you do and they have to wake up many times in the middle of the night. This behavior is normal, but some babies can develop sleeping disorders that can be very serious. Humans of all ages need sleep to grow and regenerate, and babies especially need their sleep to do this.

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If your baby is waking up excessively often, you might want to consider that another problem is at work.
When talking to your baby's doctor about infant sleep disorder, consider these issues:
Colic Allergies to food or formula Airborne allergens Separation anxiety Pain caused by teething, gas, ear aches, or another health issue Discomfort caused by pajamas or blankets, or heat, cold, thirst, etc. Pinworms Urinary track infection Gasto-esophageal reflux Habit

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If none of these options apply and your infant is still having excessive difficulty sleeping, it may be caused by a sleeping disorder that is more serious. Sleep apnea, for example, is when breathing is repeatedly interrupted during sleep. Sleep labs have found babies that stop breathing for about 20 seconds when suffering from sleep apnea. This can cause a baby to gasp, gag, or even turn blue.

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There are three different types of infant sleep disorder:
Central Sleep Apnea: the brain doesn't signal the muscles to tell them to breath, this is the most common in babies. Obstructive Sleep Apnea: Occurs when blockage is obstructing the breathing pathways. Mixed Apnea: combination between Central Sleep Apnea and Obstructive Sleep Apnea.

No one is completely sure what causes sleep apnea in babies, but it's most likely that the central nervous system causes the problem because it is immature. There are many other possibilities, such as problems with the heart or blood vessels, birth defects, infections, bleeding in the brain, respiratory disease, gastrointestinal problems, chemical imbalances, and exposure to drugs or poisons.

Periodic breathing, on the other hand, is normal for infants under 6 months of age. A child might breathe quickly for a short period, then stop breathing for about 15 seconds, then resume breathing normally. Doctors can tell whether a baby has sleep apnea or periodic breathing by measuring the oxygen in the baby's blood, monitoring the breathing and heart rate, and possibly taking an X-ray. A doctor can even take a polysomnogram, which monitors different aspects of the baby's sleep.

It's very important that a parent recognizes the signs of infant sleep disorders and take care of it right away. Infant Sleep Disorder can be fatal if an infant's oxygen levels or its heart rate gets too low. Even if an infant survives a severe episode, apparent life-threatening event (referred to as ALTE) has been found to cause long-term complications and increases the risk of unexpected death. Luckily, infant sleep disorder is treatable, so if you're concerned about how your baby is breathing during the night, do not hesitate to talk to your doctor.

Infant Sleep Disorder - Baby Sleep Solution

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Choosing Baby Formula to Supplement Breast Milk

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For some new mothers, breast feeding is a challenge and in some cases, it can seem to be almost impossible. Stress, illness and previous surgeries are just a few of the reasons that a new mother may under-produce breast milk. If you have recently given birth and discover that, in spite of your best efforts, you are not producing enough breast milk, you should talk to your pediatrician about supplementing your breastfeeding with baby formula. It can be a bitter pill but if, like me, you find that your baby is still hungry at the end of a feeding, deciding to supplement is actually a complete no-brainer.

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If your baby is not showing any obvious signs of allergies or sensitivities (gas, diarrhea and the like) you can start with any cow's milk based brand that appeals to you. Remember that all formulas sold in the US are governed by the FDA so you can be sure the nutrition guidelines are similar from brand to brand. Similac, Enfamil, Nestle or (and I wish this had been available when I was supplementing my baby) organic brands like Horizon are all fine places to start. We used powdered formula and bottles with disposable inserts for mixing but you can also buy formula in super convenient ready to use bottles and concentrated liquid formulas that you can mix quickly with water. Obviously, work within your economics and hectic schedule but once your baby is established on formula, you can switch between these different types as you need to.

Baby Allergies

Once you pick a formula, it won't take long to see if your baby doesn't like it or if it doesn't agree with her system. She will tell you unequivocally with fussing, crying, turning her head away from the bottle, spitting up, vomiting or with some truly awful diapers and gas. Definitely consult your doctor on this but you may need to switch to a formula with low or no lactose or one made with soy milk. In any case, never, ever attempt to feed your baby regular cow's milk or soy milk... they are simply not nutritionally complete enough for a developing baby.

Baby Allergies

If you can, you should definitely continue to let your baby breastfeed before offering a bottle. For me, it worked something like this: I would make up a bottle first, then sit down with my baby to breast feed. When he lost interest in breastfeeding, I would offer him the bottle and, if he took it right away, I would let him drink as much of that bottle as he wanted. Be aware that sucking formula from a bottle is so much easier than getting it from your breast that your baby might become "lazy" about breastfeeding so always breastfeed first and be absolutely sure they are making an effort before you offer the bottle.

Finally, how do you know if your baby is getting enough formula? Not surprisingly, you will know if you are feeding your baby enough formula by looking for the same signs of satiation that you do with breast feeding: sleepiness, falling off the bottle and what every mother might call slight "intoxication."

In the end, the very best thing you can do is trust your instincts and not worry too much, anyway. After all, we're talking about our babies!

Choosing Baby Formula to Supplement Breast Milk

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Allergies and Hearing

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When you think about health and nutrition, it's important to be aware of how various foodstuffs affect your wellbeing.

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It's quite amazing just how many allergens there are in a well balanced diet. Things like gluten in wheat breads and cereals, lactose in uncultured dairy products, mono sodium glutamate in tomatoes, - I'm sure you can think of dozens - that can turn your life upside down.

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Allergy has been called the great masquerader because it can contribute to and mimic many illnesses that we do not typically associated with allergy.

Baby Allergies

I have a particular interest in issues surrounding hearing, and in the fact that there may be allergies involved with some conductive hearing losses.

Conductive Hearing Loss results from problems in the middle ear, known as Otitis Media.

Middle ear infection is extremely common and very few children never experience it. Otitis Media can be painful, but is usually short term & the Conductive Hearing Loss is temporary.

Otisis Media begins with an ear ache, swelling of the membrane in the eustachian tube (resulting in blockage of the tube that normally aerates the middle ear) and results in a build up of fluid behind the ear drum. It is the pressure of the fluid that causes the pain and it is the fluid that decreases the amount of sound being conducted through the middle ear that causes the hearing loss.

As I said before Otitis Media is extremely common and most children will experience it once or twice in their lives.

When Otitis Media becomes recurrent, there is enormous cause for concern. Not only because the child is miserable and maybe in considerable pain but because the child's normal hearing becomes distorted.

Young children are not fluent language speakers although they are learning at a phenomenal rate. The experience of having a fluctuating hearing level as a result of Otitis Media in childhood can result in a life time of difficulties. There is research to suggest that the language pathways in the brain form differently. Some children who have suffered from recurrent Otitis Media have serious problems with understanding what is going on around them, that causes major social and academic problems at school.

Sadly the repercussions of Otitis Media and Fluctuating Conductive Hearing Loss in childhood is generally underestimated. After all it only last a short while, the hearing loss is only slight or moderate, it's all temporary - Right?

Wrong!

For many children life goes on wonderfully, BUT for some, early Otitis Media leaves them with lifelong difficulties and even an unrecognized permanent disability that they carry with them. And they may fail at school, and socially and get into trouble. A small hearing loss but a major loss in Quality of Life.

Some years ago I read of the work being done by Dr Michael A Schmidt on ear infections in children. He pointed out that in one study that allergic children had double the chance of suffering from Otitis Media as non allergic children.

The main allergens from his findings were food (with dairy products at the top of the list) and airborne irritants (with cigarette smoke topping the list).

It was with this in mind that I met up with some friends I had not seen for some time. Sadly their new son had recurrent Otitis Media. They were aware of my concerns about language development and had been conscientiously taking their son to doctors and specialists who were giving him vast quantities of antibiotics. (we'll save antibiotics for another time!)

He was eighteen months old and had never slept through the night and had often been very miserable. They were quite distraught. I suggested they talk to the Otorhinolaryngologist (Ear Nose & Throat Specialist) about the possibility of a food allergy. The specialist simply dismissed the idea as nonsense.

Later my friends and I talked about what the specialist had said and I suggested that they could try cutting out uncultured cow's milk products, continuing with baby yoghurt (the culturing uses up the lactose) - being very careful to replace each item with a substitute eg milk with soy milk, cheese with soy cheese etc. I didn't expect any immediate changes and didn't want to cause any unnecessary problems with dietary changes.

I received a phone call from a delighted friend the very next day. She had removed cows milk products from his diet the previous day. She reported that he'd had a good day and then he sleep quietly through the entire night. The first time in eighteen months! You can imagine how happy she was!

How simple was that!

Consider the possibility of an allergy if you are unwell and the doctor can't find anything wrong.

After all no one knows what you eat and how it makes you feel better than you do!

Allergies and Hearing

Baby Allergies

Cilantro Allergies

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Cilantro comes from the leaves of the coriander plant and is often compared to parsley, sometimes it is even called Chinese parsley. Cilantro is native to Asia and Africa although it has been cultivated in

Baby Allergies

North America for many years. The herb is used in mainly Asian and tex-mex cooking or as a garnish. Cilantro when used as a herbal seasoning can be finely chopped making it hard for people with cilantro allergies to spot when mixed into a salad. It is also used in combination with several other herbs so it can also be difficult to detect which herb is causing your allergy symptoms.

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Cilantro Allergy Symptoms

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Vomiting

Tingling in mouth

Itching

Hives or skin rash

Upset stomach

Anaphylactic shock is rare

Tightness in throat or swelling

Allergy symptoms from cilantro usually occur in a matter of minutes after eating it, although rarely stomach and digestion problems can happen hours after consuming it.

If you have cilantro allergies dining out can be very difficult. Most restaurants will not list cilantro as a ingredient on their menu and its almost impossible to guess what dishes it will be used in. The best thing to do is ask your waiter or waitress to let the chef know you have a cilantro allergy.

Though the allergy is not as common as peanut and other food allergies they are growing. Whether this is do to the fact that more people are becoming allergic or because cilantro is being used in more and more dishes. If you think you may have a cilantro allergy the best thing you can do is see a doctor and get tested.

Cilantro Allergies

Baby Allergies

Air Cleaners - One of Allergies Worst Enemies

Baby Allergies

There are many reasons for people to begin thinking more seriously about the air quality in their homes, like those who are expecting a baby or have allergies. Even if you do not have a reason lke those, air cleaners make a huge difference in the air quality. Living with a new baby, of course, would give you more of an incentive to go ahead and place several in your house.

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I recently visited friends that have a new baby. I noticed something new about their home that I had never seen before. They had a few air cleaners around the house that seemed to make a huge difference in the air quality. She told me that they got them long before she knew they were having a baby, but thought they were a good thing to have around now that a little one was living with them. I thought it was a great idea, and I was so impressed that I thought I might have to go out and get some of my own.

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Doing some research on the types and efficiencies of the various air cleaners, should be a easy job, on the internet. I had heard of the outrageous cost of replacing filters on some machines. And on others, you just wash the filter and put it back in. But like any larger expenditure, it doesn't hurt to do your own due diligence.

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You need to buy the appropriate amount of air cleaners to fit in your space. I needed at least two good size air cleaners, one on each level. My husband suffered for years at certain times with allergies. I have no idea why we didn't do this many years ago. Air filters should be a great relief to all those with allergies. There are many quality ones on the market today and it really does pay to research air purification systems well before purchasing.

After the online research, I did some comparison shopping, once again, online. There are many sites that sell air cleaners, so not jumping on the first one you see, would be a good thing. These sites should give information as well, and tell you what size is optimal for your home.

There are a great number of others who like my husband, have allergies. It seems the numbers are increasing all the time. Allergies are something that you can develop at any time in your life. People can develop allergies to anything from foods, to animals to plants. They do tend to be seasonal, unless you are allergic to molds or dust, which are always around us.

There are many things that can be done in the home environment of a person with allergies to help them be more comfortable. For a person that is allergic to dust and other airborne particles, you could remove carpets. Carpeting can trap all sorts of allergens. That may seem to be a bit drastic, so, purchasing a good air purification system would be a good first step.

There are some systems on the market that work very well, however they make so much noise it is difficult to have them running when you are in the same room with them. The main thing you want to insure in purchasing an air purification system is that it is affordable to maintain. Many of the machines that use filters have to have them changed on a regular basis to work properly. If the filters are high priced running this particular machine can get expensive. Also check to see how large of an area the air cleaner can handle. For some units you need to have more than one unit in bigger spaces.

There are air purification systems that allow you to try the product for a few days in your home prior to purchase. You need to find out where to put the machine to get the best possible results. A good system will provide results within twenty four hours. There will still be mold and mildew to kill after that time, but there will also be a noticeable difference.

My husband and I finally purchased an air purification system to help him with his allergies and get rid of mold and mildew odors in the basement of our home. The odors are gone and the great side effect is that my husband no longer snores. The system has removed particulates out of the air that causes snoring, after all these years that I thought I was an insomniac. Also now that we have the system, the house is so much cleaner, less dusty than before. I can't recommend enough to people, to go ahead and try an air cleaner or a whole house air purification system.

Air Cleaners - One of Allergies Worst Enemies

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How to Choose the Right Humidifier For Your Baby

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A humidifier may be an essential accessory for your baby's nursery, especially in winter. This is because dry air often causes babies to develop breathing problems, swollen sinuses, and respiratory infections. Humidifiers also protect your baby from allergies and drying of the skin, both of which are common in winter.

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Humidifiers are generally of two types: warm mist humidifiers and cool mist humidifiers. Warm mist humidifiers work by boiling water in a holding tank to add to the humidity level in the surrounding area. Cool mist humidifiers use a fan to evaporate the water, which is absorbed by a wick filter from a tank.

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Here are some tips to help you choose a humidifier:

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o Decide which type of humidifier to buy. Warm mist humidifiers are ideal for cooler climates as the moisture they release is warm. On the other hand, the moisture released by cool mist humidifiers is cooler and more appropriate for warmer climates.

o Ensure that the humidifier you buy is safe. Some pediatricians consider cool mist humidifiers to be safer as they do away with the heating element that is used by warm mist humidifiers, which could accidentally hurt the baby.

o If the cleanliness of the air is an issue, there are bacteria-free humidifiers that ensure that the moisture released is free from air borne bacteria. Warm mist humidifiers are better in this respect, as they work by boiling water into steam.

o A humidifier with an in-built humidistat will allow you to control the amount of humidity in the nursery. Between 30% and 40% is a comfortable level to set.

o Check that the humidifier you buy is not too noisy. This is especially a problem with cool mist humidifiers, which use a fan for their functioning. Some models allow you to select the fan speed, and thus, control the level of the sound emitted.

o Cool mist humidifiers are generally better at covering a larger area and so, more appropriate if you have a large baby nursery.

How to Choose the Right Humidifier For Your Baby

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How to Choose the Best Cot & Cotbed Mattress For Your Baby

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The mattress you choose for your new baby is an important decision and with so many options on the market this guide will give you the information you need to make correct choice for your baby.

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The main choices are Foam, Fibre, Spring and Pocket Sprung.  These range in price with Foam being the cheapest option ranging up to Pocket Sprung as the luxury choice.  There are also some alternative options available including Bamboo core with its anti bacterial qualities and a new design from Pur Flow which consist of a liner stretched over a frame.  A very different concept which is aimed at children with allergies.

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Foam
Foam mattresses are made from a high density foam and most can be cut to any size you require. There are varying degrees of ventilation from the head section which aids the circulation of air around baby's head and also allows for drainage of any liquids or fluids, particularly where newborn babies are concerned. To a mattress which is ventilated entirely from top to bottom, which allows circulation of air all over whatever the position of the baby is laid in the cot. With the "supervent" style mattresses there is usually a non toxic pvc sleeve which is adjustable anywhere over the mattress pad.

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Fibre
This mattress is filled with the natural fibres from the coconut which are bound together with natural latex and then layered between foam. This offers comfort and resilience. This style of mattress offers excellent air flow and is of course environmentally friendly. However we have noticed a move away from this type of mattress for children with allergies or asthma symptoms.

Spring
The spring mattress is rather like your own sprung mattress and is made from coil springs which provide posture, support and durability which in tern is sandwiched between two layers of foam. The mattress is also fully breathable.

Pocket Sprung
This mattress is the ultimate in comfort and support made with a network of independent pocketed springs provides excellent support, helps prevent indentations and increases comfort as each spring responds individually to your child's sleeping position.

PurFlo Mattresses
The PurFlo mattress is available in two sizes to fit the most common cots or cotbeds. The PurFlo Mattress has a SleepSurface that allows free circulation of air around your child, and enables you to banish house Dust Mites and their excreta, which generate allergens linked to asthma, eczema and related diseases.

The SleepSurface is easily removed for washing at 60°C to eliminate allergens, bacteria and fungi. Conversely, traditional mattresses suffer, for example, from accumulations of allergens in their covers - which may be washable - and in their cores - from which they cannot be removed.

The PurFlo Mattress is safe for babies in the first few weeks after birth, when it is particularly important to ensure that they do not get too cold by virtue of its breathable surface, the mattress reduces the risk of overheating in older babies because it has lower thermal insulation than ordinary mattresses overheating, particularly when a baby has an acute infection, can be very dangerous the mattress prevents the pooling of exhaled carbon dioxide (CO2) and makes it less likely that this will be re-inhaled. There is evidence that in some circumstances rebreathing can be fatal to a baby.

All of these benefits make the PurFlo Mattress the most advanced defence against identified risks of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and the best method to avoid allergens linked with Asthma, Eczema and related diseases.

These are just some of the options available and I hope that the information makes your decision a little easier. I would always recommend visiting your local independent nursery specialist who will be able to advice you on the best options.

How to Choose the Best Cot & Cotbed Mattress For Your Baby

Baby Allergies

Treating Infant Eczema - Case of My 1-Year-Old Boy's Alleged Allergy to Dogs and Grass

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This experience happened in 2002. I was still obese. I did not know anything about health then. I did know about how to learn from the mistakes of others so that you would not make the same mistakes they did.

Baby Allergies

Our first born was only 1 year old and he exhibited some atopic dermatitis / eczema on the folds of his arms and the folds of his legs. My wife and I went on a vacation and our son was left to the care of his grandmother. When we got back, grandma had reported to us that she spent quite a lot of money on our son by bringing him to her favorite skin doctor and allergist and that a battery of allergy tests were done and they found out my son was allergic to dogs and grass.

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I fumed. Just like in the cartoons with steam coming out of my ears. How can a 21st century human be allergic to dogs? How can a 21st century human be allergic to plain outdoor grass? Being allergic to dogs and grass was simply not logical. You would think that all the humans of yore who were allergic to dogs and grass will have been weeded out via natural selection. We are the descendants of hardy humans who could never be allergic to dogs and grass.

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The other logic at the back of my mind was, that these same skin doctors and allergists were the same failures who caused my own brother to become diseased with an initial atopic dermatitis and then full blown psoriasis all over his body. Give me one good reason why I should believe a word they said regarding their diagnosis about my son.

I had read about lack of fluid intake as a possible cause of allergies. I ordered our nanny to give our 1 year old boy water frequently, just a sip or more every hour. Then I further ordered that our boy play around with every dog of the neighbors as much as possible. Then I ordered our nanny to roll our son on the grass all around the complex. In short I wanted to do the complete opposite of that alleged allergy diagnosis recommendation. I wanted more exposure for my boy to the alleged allergens in the effort to desensitize him.

I remember when my brother was growing up. My parents were very meticulous about cleanliness and bacteria. My brother went to the same medical doctors my mom took my son to. My aunts and uncles jeered that my brother needed to be exposed to germs and dirt so that he would grow up strong. Fast forward many years later and my brother was diseased with full body atopic dermatitis / psoriasis.

I remembered the logic of learning from the mistakes of others. My parents made the mistake with raising my brother in that failed medical paradigm of skin doctors and allergists. I was not going to repeat the same mistake with my son.

How we treated our 1 year old boy of atopic dermatitis symptoms:

1. More frequent fluid intake with water and coconut juice and water melon.
2. More frolicking and exposure with the neighbors dogs to desensitize him.
3. More play and exposure on grass to desensitize him.

The results with my boy? In 2 weeks my son's so called atopic dermatitis symptoms disappeared. My boy has been atopy free since then. Today that same boy is 8 years old with smooth clear skin.

Treating Infant Eczema - Case of My 1-Year-Old Boy's Alleged Allergy to Dogs and Grass

Baby Allergies