Curry allergy? Five year old son?

Question

Last night my son got a rash all over his stomach and down his legs. I did not know what it was so I took him to the doctor. They said it was an allergic reaction to something. The only thing new that he had yesterday was some Curry seasoned rice. Could the curry have given him the rash? He got a similar rash from Eucerin Intensive Repair lotion that I put on him once because his skin was real dry. Are a lot of people allergic to Curry?

Answer 1

Hi. Sorry to hear about your son. It's very likely an allergy, and while an allergy to curry is fairly rare (at least in the U.S.) it's certainly not unheard of. I had severe eczema as a child and experienced the same sort of rash, often itching and even bleeding, many times throughout my childhood. I also found that certain lotions exacerbated the problem, but alas I digress.

The problem here is that unless you prepared the meal from scratch, it's highly likely that there were other potential allergens in it. The most common culprit for that type of food is MSG, though it's possible that he may even have developed a rice allergy. If he continues to get rashes, keep a food diary so you can get some idea of the cause.

The quickest solution, though, is to go to a board-certified allergist to get your son tested for allergies to curry and other things that might have been in the food. If indeed it was an allergic reaction, an allergist will be able to isolate the exact allergen, thus saving your son from a life of broad-based dietary restrictions and potentially life-threatening reactions.

If you're interested in learning more about allergy tests, you can check out a recent discussion we had about them on WEGO Health (full disclosure: I'm the moderator for the asthma and allergy community there):

http://forums.wegohealth.com/forums/viewthread/87_25/

I also know that at least one member of our community is allergic to curry. You can read about her experiences in this thread, and she might be able to provide more information for you:

http://forums.wegohealth.com/forums/viewthread/85/#280

Answer 2

our son has allergies to many foods, grasses, trees, weeds, molds, dust, etc. After going to an allergy doctor and having him tested, finding out exactly what he was allergic to, avoiding what we could, and having allergy shots for the rest, his life improved greatly. He now takes allergy drops under the tongue which is easier and doesn't mean his having to go to the doctor's office for a shot once a week. Have your son tested and treated while he is young so it doesn't hamper his life later.