Rash Around My Daughters Eyes

You need a new pediatrician. I wish you had changed 3+ years ago. Beyond that, you'll want to see an allergist first. Then a dermatologist if the allergy testing comes up with nothing.

Sounds like she's allergic to milk protein. Yes food allergies can cause rashes on the face.

Have you tried a milk protein free diet? In addition to avoiding milk and yogurt, you need to check food labels - milk is listed in the allergy list. Milk is found in some brands of bread, cookies, crackers, and many other things you might not expect, so check all the food you give her. She needs to be milk- free for 2-3 full weeks to give the dairy time to clear her system before you decide if it helps.

If the dairy-free diet doesn't help, then you may need an allergist. But after 4 years of waiting, it seems like it's worth 2 weeks of dairy-free diet before going through the expense of the testing, since you don't have insurance.

This could seriously be a long shot, but I have friends who dealt with the same sort of thing. The reason I mention it is that they also spent years trying to figure it out and no doctors came up with it - she had to do her own research and came upon it. He had steroid withdrawal. It may be worth checking to.

Updated

This could seriously be a long shot, but I have friends who dealt with the same sort of thing. The reason I mention it is that they also spent years trying to figure it out and no doctors came up with it - she had to do her own research and came upon it. He had steroid withdrawal. It may be worth checking to.

Has she been off all steroids for years, or did she recently take them again? And when she stopped the steroids, did she do it properly (you don't just stop taking them, you gradually decrease the dose over a period of time)?

You can try your own food elimination tests.

First, you need a food journal. A really easy way to do it is to get a legal pad and use one page per day. Write down everything your daughter eats and drinks. And be specific (I know, I sound like a broken record on this one). Don't write "snack", write exactly what the snack was, like "1 green apple and 2 Kraft mozzarella cheese sticks with a glass of 2% milk", and what time it was).

Then you can choose one food to eliminate. Sounds like you should start with dairy. But you will need to look at ingredient lists like a detective. It's not just milk. Here's a helpful website that lists all dairy ingredients.

http://www.godairyfree.org/dairy-free-grocery-shopping-gu...

Yes, it's challenging. Pretty much rules out processed convenience foods. You'll just have to make things like chicken, fruit, vegetables, peanut butter, etc. There are helpful websites with dairy-free meal ideas.

Keep the food journal going and monitor your daughter's skin and digestion. You'll have to give the food elimination test several weeks for it to be thorough. Just a couple of days is usually not enough.

But, if you do decide to pay for an allergy test, note that there are several kinds. One is a simple blood test that checks for about two dozen very common allergens. It's not as expensive as the others, but neither is it as thorough. Another is a skin prick test, which involves poking the skin with common allergens and watching for an immediate reaction. It's more expensive and can be irritating. It also checks for multiple possible allergies, like trees, mold, dust mites, foods, grasses, etc. The third kind is a patch test which occurs over several days. It checks for metals, additives, fragrances, dyes, etc, and is fairly painless. Patches containing allergens are applied to the skin and checked for 5 days.

However, if you decide to get the allergy testing, don't do the food elimination trials yet. Do the test first, and make sure your daughter eats a variety of foods like breads, milk and cheeses, sugars, corn in the week or two before the test. You might start with the blood test. It's more basic and just involves a simple tube of blood.

If u think it could be allergic reaction to dairy, the best thing to do is go completely dairy free for two weeks, but make sure she has another source of calcium and vitamin d (they put it in on, but that stuff is really sugary so be careful!)
If the rash clears up then badabing badaboom, milk allergy. If not then I'd recommend the Dr test.
Good luck!

I developed a rash recently around my eye. It was contact dermatitis - I think can be a form of eczema. Hydro-cortisone cream (prescribed) worked for me to get it under control.

My oldest had terrible eczema on his face - to point he didn't want to go school. We had tried every product out there. Dermatologist. It wasn't until we treated the underlying problem - allergies - that it went away. For us, dust mites and pets.

I also have kids with lactose intolerance. For that - keep a full diet log (print off internet) and mark changes to skin and BMs, etc.

You will want to take that in with you if you get to see an allergist in future.

Hydrous Emollient works best for us over Aveeno. That's like Eucerin or what we do is get big tub like paste from pharmacy.

I was just going to suggest the same thing Crystal did. I was just reading about steroid withdrawal somewhere. Research it.

It sounds like she probably shouldn't be consuming dairy products.

Sounds like some sort of allergy.

Offer to payingor cash price for testing. If your pedi won't do it, gonzo an allergist or dermatilogist. Just say up front that you'll pay cash price and that's usually discounted.

Good luck.

I can't imagine why your pediatrician hasn't already referred you to an allergist. After dealing with this for four years, wouldn't that seem the logical thing to do?

While it may "sound like" this or that based on other people's experiences, there may be a variety of factors in your daughter's case contributing to her situation. It's important for you to find out the cause or causes of your daughter's condition, and if it is allergies, they need to be properly and comprehensively diagnosed, treated, and monitored by the proper medical professional. And no disrespect to pediatricians, but there is a very good reason that there are medical specialties, and an allergist will have more testing options available and a far broader understanding of treatments for your child than your pediatrician.

In our family, we too, had and continue to have various food and environmental allergies. My son and I both have eczema. I also get it around my eye area. But knowing that does not help your situation because our medical histories, current health status, and exposure to various allergens are completely different.

Whenever allergies are suspected, you should not give your child any nut products or nut milks, even coconut milk. In addition to dairy, peanuts, tree nuts, and soy are very common allergens, and until you know what your daughter may be allergic to, it is best to avoid these things. A good place to find credible information on food allergies is www.foodallergy.org

If no food or environmental allergies are detected, a consult with a dermatologist would be the next logical step.

Hope you will find a great allergist to help you get to the bottom of this. While allergies can be very serious and an annoyance, at least it is a condition that can be managed.

My granddaughter has eczema. Breakouts began before she was one. After this long trying to treat her, I urge you to see an allergist and/or a dermatologist. They know much more about diagnosis and treatment.

Your description about the effects a dairy product are all present with an allergy to milk protein. I would stop all dairy products. My granddaughter had a special formula as a baby. Then she drank rice milk. Now there are coconut and tree nut formulas available. My granddaughter was able to have dairy products around 6.

I suggest you that instead of using Aveeno you use a more hydrating cream such as Ucerine. We found a couple of generic creams that worked as well. The allergist said it kept the skin hydrated better. Wash her face a couple of times a day and apply the cream while the skin is still wet.

Have you considered that she may be eligible for insurance through the state? If I understand correctly, people are fined if they don't have insurance. My daughter and husband are below the poverty line for a family of 7. Everyone in the family has insurance with the Oregon Health Plan. There are other plans available but they were assigned to the OHP.