2 y/o with exczema, dark circles under eyes...food allergy?

erindawn

DS has exczema on his arms and upper legs and fequently has dark eye circles even though he's slept fine.  Also, he often (2-3 times a week) points right below his belly button and says "tummy hurts" but he's not "sick" and has normal poops.  We definitely noticed that if he eats ice cream he gets mega gassy and cries so I wouldn't be surprised if he's got some lactose intolerance. 

Thoughts?

julandjo

Definitely at least cut out all dairy and see how it goes.  Talk to his pedi about testing too.  How is he on the growth curve?

Ruby_Tuesday

I think the dark circles are frequently associated with environmental allergies.  People call them "shiners".  It has to do with drainage/conjestion/blood vessles in the nasal cavaties.

LuvWestCoast

Skin issues and dark circles can also be a sign of Celiac Disease or Gluten Intolerance. It can be mistaken for a dairy allergy as well. (First hand experience here). You can try an elimination diet or there is a blood test. The skin/allergy test will not properly diagnose. You might need to see a naturopath, because many traditional medicine doctors discount this problem. (Again, firsthand experience).

I really hope it's not a gluten intolerance or celiac because it is a pain. Good luck.