3 year old keeps getting an allergic rash

[Chris2315]

Hi all, I've got a 3 year old son and when he woke up 3 days ago I noticed he looked generally swollen, mainly his eyes, hands and feet. I then saw he had a raised red rash, and he found it really itchy. It then got worse that morning and he was covered in the rash! It definitely looked like an allergic reaction so I went to the chemist and bought benadryl. I gave it to him and it went away, but i don't know if it was because of the medicine or not.

I thought it was all ok but this morning he woke up with the same rash! This time it went away quickly and without medicine. I took him to the doctors and showed them a picture of the rash and they were as baffled as I was!

It's come back AGAIN tonight and I'm so confused! Other than the itchy rash and the swelling he's completely fine, and his usual self. There's been nothing new that he's been eating, or no new washing powder etc so I'm stumped.

One thing worth mentioning is that he had a virus last week and had a little bit of sickness, and this rash has started coming up a few days after the virus went away. Just wondering if anyone had any tips or advice? Thanks! There's a picture of his rash with this post 😊

That definitely looks like classic urticaria/hives. I used to get it often as a child-sometimes from food, or cats, or just grass or something. It is an immune system overreaction so it’s possible that the virus he had caused him to develop an allergic trigger to something he previously tolerated. Any pets? Try changing hand soaps, bubble bath, laundry powder etc and look for patterns with foods. Don’t know if GPs still offer allergy testing?

It’s quite common to get urticaria after a virus The body’s strange way of clearing the virus. I’d talk it over with a doctor though. It’s also peak hay fever season

Do you have pets in the bedroom is another question I’d be asking.

Did you wash the sheets in a different powder to normal maybe?

An allergic reaction can appear at any time, it doesn't have to be anything new.

Mine has gotten horrible hives after a virus. I treated with piriton for a few days and it went away.

Definitely looks like an allergic reaction to me. You have to be very methodical in hunting down the culprit, and I'd go and see your GP again and ask for a referral to an allergy clinic. Start keeping a food diary to see if you can find something there. It could be a new reaction to something you have been using for ages. Or has he had new pyjamas maybe? It could be a reaction to the dye if you haven't washed them thoroughly enough. Is he getting too hot at night - sometimes heat makes things worse? Fabric softener? Do you dry your sheets outside? I have to dry my DD's clothes and sheets inside, otherwise they make her eczema much worse, it could be a pollen reaction. Is there a pattern - eg is the reaction all over or on parts of him that are touching the sheets only? That might give you a clue. Take a look at the Allergy UK and Anaphylaxis Campaign websites, they have a lot of useful information about allergies generally. Do you have a pet that gets on or near his bed? Good luck.

www.uptodate.com/contents/hives-urticaria-beyond-the-basics#H1

Section here on hives after a virus.