Is your child suffering from eczema, allergies, ear infections or asthma? I bet you have tried numerous remedies, spent countless hours at doctor’s offices and have tried every prescription under the sun. But, it’s probably not working. At least not in the long term. I feel your pain. The long nights up with sick kids is utterly exhausting. And the heart wrenching guilt you feel because you can’t help them eats at you inside.

You’re missing work.

Your child is missing school.

You are both miserable.

At this point you don’t just want answers, you want a solution.

The medications may not be working because they aren’t addressing the cause of your child’s problem. They are simply alleviating the symptoms. Hence, no long term solution. To find a long term solution to manage these illnesses, we first need to understand the cause.

What is the cause of eczema, allergies, asthma and ear infections?

There isn’t always a simple answer. And often, these things can be multi-factorial. Eczema, allergies, ear infections and asthma in children are on the rise. Yet they are not a normal part of childhood. But, part of the answer lies in the health of your child’s gut. Your child’s body is producing these symptoms as a message. It is out of balance and needs help. And, if we don’t address the cause of these problems, they aren’t going to go away. The body will find another way to tell us that something is wrong.

You might wonder how eczema, allergies, ear infections and asthma can all have a similar cause. They are such different conditions.

Everybody’s body and biochemistry are unique. And how our bodies react to certain things and produce symptoms will vary. But one thing does remain the same in these cases…poor gut health.

What is gut health and why is it important?

When we talk about gut health, we are talking about two components in the gut, or intestines.

The first is the population of the bacteria. These are tiny microbes that reside in the gut. There are over 100 trillion of these little guys in our digestive system! They make up over 70% of the immune system. And they are responsible for many other important functions including protecting the intestinal lining, digestion, hormone regulation, brain function and metabolism. Furthermore, scientists are now discovering a link between gut health and many modern diseases.

Our body requires enough of this good bacteria to carry out these functions and to ensure a state of balance and health in the body. They also keep the bad bacteria at bay. So, if there are too little good bacteria and too much bad bacteria (also called dysbiosis), disease often manifests. And how this can manifest will depend on the individual.

The other component of gut health that is important to our overall health is the intestinal lining. When the intestinal lining becomes damaged, particles such as undigested food, toxins and bacteria can pass through. So, they can enter the bloodstream and cause an immune response that can lead to allergic or inflammatory reactions. This may present as a weakened immune system, skin conditions (acne, eczema, and psoriasis), digestive issues, respiratory problems (asthma), joint pain and many other conditions.

Both the good bacteria and the intestinal lining can become damaged from prescription and non-prescription drugs, alcohol, poor diet, antibiotics, stress, toxins and an imbalance of intestinal bacteria (too much bad and too little good).

Therefore, taking care of the good bacteria and protecting the intestinal lining is the first step to addressing the cause of your child’s condition.

Improving your child’s gut health to reduce eczema, allergies, ear infections and asthma

For both of my children, their skin conditions and asthma-like attacks have improved by focusing on gut health. We implement these strategies in our daily life. Here are my strategies for improving your child’s gut health.

Eliminate processed foods. Eat a diet that is made up of real food. Avoid the packaged and boxed meals. Opt for making meals with real food instead.

Reduce consumption of refined sugar. Make more meals and snacks at home. Minimize juice and use natural sugars like maple syrup and honey when baking.

Focus on digestion. Digestion can be improved with adequate chewing, eating slowly, avoiding eating on the run or in front of a TV and avoiding drinking with meals.

Include probiotic (fermented) foods in your diet. Include fermented foods in their diet. This includes sauerkraut, kefir, organic yogurt, miso or tempeh daily, if possible.

Get off the anti-bacterial craze! The chemicals in antibacterial soaps and hand sanitizers harm your good bacteria. Stick to a normal hand washing routine with plain soaps to keep germs away. This works just as effectively.

Only use antibiotics when necessary. Antibiotics are very effective at killing bad bacteria, but they also kill good bacteria. So use them only when your doctor feels they are necessary.

Choose organic whenever possible. Choosing organic foods keeps exposure to pesticides, fungicides and herbicides at a minimum. These chemicals harm good bacteria and can cause other problems in the body.

Let your child get dirty! Playing outside allows children’s own good bacteria to better develop. So let them get dirty!

Eliminate toxins in the home and in your skincare routine. Chemicals and toxins harm good bacteria and can aggravate skin conditions like eczema. Buy natural and organic cleaners and skincare products. Or, make your own!

Make quality sleep a priority. Sleep is an important element for health. So ensure your child is getting an appropriate amount of sleep for their age, and put them to bed at a good time each evening. The bonus: more time for you!

Minimize stress. Focus on having a more relaxed environment at home. Practice meditation or yoga with your children to help reduce stress levels.

It may seem a little overwhelming to make all these changes at once. Try changing one or two things each week for a few months, and see how your family’s health improves. You may even notice some of your stress lifting!

Do you have a child that is suffering from constant colds, eczema, allergies, ear infections or asthma and you are at your wit’s end? Want ongoing support, direction and accountability? I’d love to work with you one-on-one. Book a free discovery call with me here to find out how I can help you!

I’d love to hear about your journey in dealing with your child’s eczema, allergies, ear infections or asthma. Leave a comment below.