Hot red cheeks

[callahansmama]

Hello:) This is my first time posting on the allergy forum. I have a 2.5 year old son as well as a 2 month old daughter. I have always suspected that my son had some sort of food allergy or intolerance but also overwhelmed with trying to figure out what the culprit was. At 9 months he had horrible diarrhea that lasted a couple of months and we tried no dairy and gluten free very briefly and then were told it was probably just rotavirus. He eats a varied diet now with the regular 2 year old pickiness but he's a fan of pasta, breads, cheese and yogurt with the occasional glass of cows milk. He eats fruits ( but not tomato)and some vegetables. Over the holidays he ate a ridiculous amount of junk:( I have noticed lately that he will have one really red hot ear and now both cheeks are red and hot. He doesn't seem to be bothered or uncomfortable. I don't think it's fifths disease as he doesn't have the body rash. Could this be a food allergy or intolerance? In addition to the cheeks and ears, he is extremely hyperactive and LOUD (not suddenly, he has been this way as long as I can remember) I feel like its beyond what is normal for his age and wonder if that, too, could be caused by a food allergy.

Any ideas or feedback is greatly appreciated:)

[Mel38]

Hello!

I do not have experience with the allergies, but when I saw the title of your post, I immediately thought of fifth disease.

We have just been through this in my family and the school my younger children attend. Amazing to me was the variation in symptoms! Among only my own children, one had only the red hot cheeks for just a few days, no fever, no other symptoms. The middle child felt terrible, had a fever and joint pain, slept alot and had the rash on her face and chest/stomach. My oldest had only spots on her arms and thighs, but no fever and no rash on her face! I can only assume that they all had the same illness because it was not bad enough to see their doctor. I have spoken to several other parents whose children had it, some were very ill and others hardly at all.

Of course, this is just my own experience and as I mentioned, I have no experience with food allergies. Good luck!
 

[JRoberge]

Food allergies triggered much of my son's eczema. We had to eliminate gluten, dairy, soy, corn, and some tree nuts to see his skin improve. Have you thought about doing an elimination diet to see what may be causing the reaction? Gluten and artificial food dyes and sweeteners are a big trigger for hyperactivity as well - have you considered the food dyes and sweeteners? I know you said you tried gluten, but if gluten is not the only trigger, you may not see much change if it's the only thing removed from the diet.