Putting together a list for allergy testing. Would like some ideas/advice.

[kahori]

Hi, my dd who is 8 has had asthma, eczema and hayfever since babyhood. She also has a diagnosed egg allergy.

We are not in UK and allergy testing etc is difficult to access and although we see a paed for dd's issues I don't feel it was taken very seriously in the past.

Her paed has now retired and we are seeing someone new. This coincides with dd having a resurrgence in allergy issues and the new paed asked me to monitor her and give him a list of allergens to test her for.

I'm finding this very difficult. Her egg allergy had improved and she was tolerating egg in cakes, biscuits etc but this has started to be a problem for her again. She also reacted to egg in ice-creams so egg is a definite for testing. He said they always test for peanut to be safe.

I am having trouble narrowing down other things.

For example I was called to school twice this year as she came out in a rash on her arms. Definitely allergy related but I have no idea what caused it. Perhaps contact with cleaning agent on desks? Can they test for reactions to these sort of things with blood tests?

If we want skin prick tests they will have to be done privately and are very expensive but I think it might be the way to go.

She reacted to something in Lidl fresh jam doughnuts twice recently despite having eaten them with no problems in the past. From what I can find they seem to be vegan so no egg so I am stumped to what could be the allergen in these.

I am feeling a bit lost as from about age 6 til now she was doing really well but suddenly seems to be extra sensitive with eczema flare up, random allergic type rashes and a very serious asthma attack a couple of months ago.

Sorry for such a long post. Any advice/help gratefully received.

[milkjetmum]

milk, eggs, soy, wheat, tree nuts, fish, shellfish, peanuts are the most common food allergens so definitely test them. Common environmental allergens are: Dust, Pollen, Mould, Tobacco, wood smoke, Pet dander, Cockroach droppings.

I remember as a child having skin prick testing for about 30+ allergens at once on my inner arm (it is done on the back in younger children). Its not perfect (I had no reaction to dog dander despite having a clear allergy) but I think would be the best place to start.

[MeMyselfAnd1]

Every child is different, you can only put a list of possible culprits if you keep a food diary. And note what she ate and any reactions she have. If you are not cooking her food from scratch keep the food packaging so you can check if there is any ingredient or additive that may be causing a problem.

Another way to find out is to remove the most likely ingredients completely for two weeks and see what happens when you re introduce them.

DS is allergic to egg but can eat certain things with egg depending on the amount of egg used and whether it was the yolk or the white, so we do not risk it.

Milk is often a culprit when eczema, hayfever and asthma are present. DS is no longer allergic to milk but if he has dairy several days in a row the eczema and asthma are back with a vengeance.