My 4 Year Old Son Is Constantly Itching All Over

Hi J. I think I would take him to a doc. to me it sounds like he has a lot of allergies. There is some reason he is doing this as he wouldn't just be doing it. My grandson did the same thing and his parents found that he is allergic to a lot of foods and grass, leaves etc.

Try Eucerin Calming body wash oil. You can find it at CVS for about $6. It's made up of mostly oil and a a little soap (it doesn't smell great). It lathers like soap and rinses clean. I love it! I've had itchy skin all over for a long time. It feels like the itch is coming from deep in my skin. I've tried everything, lotions, creams, oils. Some have which helped a little, but nothing really solved the problem. I just started using the Eucerin body wash a couple of weeks ago and haven't itched much since!
Good luck!
S.

have you tried changing laundry soap and double rinsing your laundry - if he's allergic, he is exposed to soap residue in all his clothing, towels, sheets and pillow cases etc. Good luck.

Along with the other suggestions made, I would also throw in the idea of just plain old dry skin. A good lotion or moisturizer would be good; apply it every day and after his bath.

Hi J. ~

I would stop trying to diagnose this myself and take him to the doctor. If no underlying reason for the itchiness can be found, try withholding all dairy and wheat for two weeks to see if he improves. both are known food allergens, and they are very common. I suffered from allergies to both my entire life, and was finally diagnosed last year, at the age of 54! I feel like a new person. Even my reactions to other allergens have decreased to a manageable level now.

Stopping wheat and dairy is not as hard as it sounds. If you're on facebook, look for a group called Dr. Sandy's Diet For Life, and you can read about her plan there. Dr. Sandy was a pediatric M.D. who was concerned abut the amount of chemical medication that was recommended for her young patients, so she did a lot of research and came up with this diet plan about 35 years ago. Her patients did so well with it that their parents began making appointments with her for their problems. Now she has a private family practice, and I am one of her patients. Her recommendations are now showing up in all sorts of mainstream medical studies, proving that she was a pioneer so many years ago. ;-)

Good luck. I feel so sorry for your son. Chronic itchiness is a terrible thing, and it can drive you crazy!

I see quite a few people have suggested changing detergents and soaps which is a great start, but the first thing that popped into my head when you said he's itchy all over is a possible food allergy. You can try an elimination diet by eliminating one thing at a time, but I think I'd start by a baseline trip to the Dr. so they can help guide you while figuring out what is causing it. Best wishes!
E.

Hi J.,
I would love to talk with you about all the chemicals in your home that can contribute to just the thing you are talking about with your son. Over the counter laundry products that profess to be "green" can still have some harmful chemicals in them....as far as chemicals in shampoos, conditioners and lotions go, the biggest one is Quaternium 15 (of course this is only one of many tradenames for it) which is a formaldehyde, which is also a cancer causing agent.
My granddaughter had psoriasis and it is completely gone now and she doesn't have to use the steroid creams. We have a lotion that is to die for!!!! This is all just a thought and it wouldn't hurt to try the lotion and see what it does, but if you would like to chat and maybe explore your options just email me back and we will get together.
Have a good day!

Hi Maam,

I had this itch one day, and it was all over my body, and at some point I just start grunting and screaming, and I have to get water on my body to close the pores. It's not a normal allergic reaction that is deadly, it is just intensely painful. HOWEVER, I figured out how to STOP this ITCH finally. I could not find an answer, really online. I had to experiment myself. This is how I deal with my itching. I realized that Cheese, Soybeans, spinach, and anything high in histamines cause this itch, because my body cannot absorb them fast enough. So when I stop eating these foods, the itching goes away, BUT not until it all leaves through my SWEAT pores, =(. The best way to get rid of them is to exercise until you sweat, and then you water yourself down with the hose. Get a good sweat going, and the pores will open, and once they are, the pain dissipates. Then you wash all the histamines off, and your good to go. JUST DON'T eat anything high in histamines, especially pizza, EVER, because you will pay dearly! I hope your son gets better.

R.,

Hi J.,

My children and I had that problem also. Our skin was always itchy and irritated and I couldn't figure out why. Finally I tried switching to laundry detergent, soaps and shampoos that were free of dyes and perfumes and the problem has completely resolved. Most of the products sold today contain numerous chemicals. Some people are immune, but others are not.

Good luck!

I would take him to the dr.

Try using unscented laundry soap and softener. My husband developed allergies to scented laundry soap in his late 50's. Also try ivory for his bath soap or something with oatmeal in it.

Try changing the soap, shampoo and laundry detergent. Something for babies is usually good and very mild. Allergic reactions usually have visual signs, but you can try taking to an allergy specialist and have him tested.

Good luck.

Hi,
My daughter was itchy all over about 2 years ago. I mentioned it to a friend, and she asked if my daughter had asthma. I told her yes and she said it was probably echzema
( hope I spelled it right)lol. She informed me that her child's pediatrician stated that a good number of children who deal with asthma have this issue. I made an appointment and the doctor evaluated it and prescribed an ointment which we used and it did help. Prior to talking to the doctor the second time, we initially visited her and she stated that I change what I washed our clothes in the the bath soap we used. So before going to the doctor try making those two changes and see if the itching stops. If not do what I did. When I made these initially changes there was a big difference.When only went to the doctor a second time when the itching returned. Hope this helps.

Don't panic . . . probably an allergy. My sons are allergic to grass, trees, pollen, mold, pet dander, dust mites, etc.; and they get itchy when they have been outside playing. Once they have been bathed, they are fine. If that doesn't help, I give them both a teaspoon of allergy med. (a generic brand of Zyrtec which comes in syrup form). A friend of mind noticed her toddler scratching all the time but did not see any rashes anywhere. She took her daughter to an allergist and found out she was allergic to a specific type of flour found in some breads and crackers! She is taking a chewable tablet once a day and avoids foods that cause the reaction. Hope this helps!

Do you have bed bugs? Don't be offended it's easy to pick them up. They don';t really leave bite marks or at least on me they don't show up til I scratch. They look like apple seeds and are black as they age. The babies are born clear until they feed then they are red. I read online they do not cause or spread illness but it is a pain. We have sprayed with 99% alcohol, bought powder, oil base and water base spray. It all helps but they are still here. I heard cedar tree oil only available online is the best. I also heard turn up your heat on a really hot day and go away for 3 to 4 days and when you get back they will be dead. They breath through their shells and they suffocate,

Hi J.,

Definitely try changing your laundry soap to a perfume- and dye-free brand (there are several out there including some store brands). I'd skip the fabric softener altogether, IMO it is not necessary, and it reduces the absorbency of the fabric.

Aveeno baths might help also. Walmart has a store-brand equivalent of Aveeno; there may be a way to just grind up oatmeal in your food processor and use that too, but I am not aware of specifics.

I don't know what internal issues you have found in your search, but it might be something as simple as he is not getting enough good fats in his diet (I think they are the omega-6 fats, but you could check with your dr. or a nutritionist).

Good luck!

K. Z.

Sounds like either allergy to laundry soap/fabric softner or he has eczema which you would need to take him to doc for. Tide makes an allergy free soap, fabric softner not sure about.