Below is a brief list of some of the irregular symptoms exhibited by many American children today.  It is a catalog compiled by vigilant parents who see these signs in their children and their children’s friends on a daily basis. Although they are common, they are not normal when exhibited chronically.

Scan through the list.  Do your children, or children that you know, exhibit any of these symptoms with persistence?

• One or two red cheeks after eating
• Red or hot ears after eating
• Chronic runny nose or cough
• Chronic mouth breathing
• Problems with swallowing, habitual gagging or choking while eating
• Storing food in cheeks
• Recurrent ear infections
• Chronic or recurrent sinus infections
• Chronic or recurrent strep infections
• Periodic Fever Syndrome
• Patches of red, dry, scaly skin (eczema) on face, hands, elbows, knees or other parts of the skin
• Frequent diaper rashes in babies, especially red rings around the anus or redness of the vaginal area
• Cradle cap or excessive scaling and dandruff on the scalp
• Thinning hair or hairloss
• Cavities and excessive tartar, or bad breath despite proper dental hygiene
• Frequent day-time accidents in an already potty-trained child
• Nighttime bedwetting well into the grade school years
• Nocturia, frequent waking to go to the bathroom
• Dark circles or bags surrounding the eyes, “droopy” eyes
• Excessive drooling in children too old to drool
• Colic, excessive crying or irritability in babies
• Frequent temper tantrums (multiple times a day)
• Frequent crying, sadness, anger (multiple times a day)
• Esophageal reflux, babies who chronically ‘spit up’ or regurgitate after eating
• White coating on the tongue
• Chronic thrush infections
• Unusual fingernail or toenail formation
• Frequent loose stools, diarrhea
• Undigested food found routinely in stools
• Blood in stool
• Constipation, infrequent stooling, (only going once every few days, or straining with a bowel movement)
• Excessive gas, flatulence
• Chronically discolored stools: white, yellow, or black.
• Floating stools, or dry stools (“rabbit pellets”)
• “Tummy aches”
• Distended “pot belly”
• Persistent toe-walking (always walking on tip-toes)
• Delays in crawling, walking, talking
• Significant speech impairments
• Large motor delays—difficulties completing age-appropriate physical tasks (e.g., jumping or climbing)
• Sideways glancing—looking out of the sides of the eyes instead of making direct eye contact
• Sensory-defensiveness: covering the ears from everyday sounds like vacuum cleaners or telephone rings; shielding the eyes from bright lights; sensitivity or revulsion to common smells; avoidance of certain textures like sand, wetness, certain fabrics; over sensitivity or emotional reaction to tags in clothing, seams in socks, hairbrushing; avoidance of kisses, hugs, or other forms of affection
• Sensory-seeking behaviors: always looking to “crash” into people, objects
• Pressure-seeking behavior:  trying to push the belly against objects, the floor, tables
• Head-banging
• Tongue hanging out of the mouth
• Failure to thrive, growth delays
• Arm flapping
• Low muscle tone
• Extreme or abnormal fatigue
• Difficulty waking
• Excessive sweating (night or daytime) or inability to regulate temperature
• Excessive hyperactivity
• Chronically swollen lymph nodes
• Obsessive or compulsive type behaviors—constant hoarding of toys, possessions
• Lining up toys, or other repetitive behaviors
• Persistent aggressive behavior
• Persistent non-compliant or oppositional behavior
• Tics (verbal or physical) (including constant throat clearing, coughing, blinking)
• Recurrent urinary tract infections
• Chronic vaginal infections
• Chronic athletes foot, ring worm or other fungal skin infections

There are perfectly normal and healthy children that exhibit a few of these symptoms occasionally.  This is not a concern. All children exhibit occasional temper tantrums, hoarding of toys, constipation, hyperactivity, and many more of the aforementioned symptoms.  However, it is not normal when children exhibit these symptoms chronically or with particular intensity and severity, despite conventional treatment approaches (e.g., diet and behavioral modifications).

These symptoms stem from some underlying biological dysfunctions that are typically not recognized by most physicians.

Although some of these symptoms may be strongly correlated with one particular underlying medical problem (e.g. red cheeks after eating is often associated with food allergies), many of these symptoms are “red flags” that there are multiple complex underlying biological disorders (such as gut dysbiosis, immune dysregulation, mitochondrial dysfunction, autoimmunity, malabsorption, etc.).

In other words, a child who experiences chronic constipation may have a food allergy, but may also be experiencing gut dysbiosis and mitochondrial dysfunction.  In another example, a child who experiences chronic constipation may have food allergies, mitochondrial dysfunction, immune dysregulation, malabsorption, and a developing autoimmune condition (such as colitis or Crohn’s disease).

It is of critical importance that a child with chronic symptoms be seen by an integrative or holistic medical practitioner who can help get to the underlying causes of the symptoms.

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This document is not a substitute for medical advice, treatment, diagnosis, or consultation with a medical professional.  It is intended for general informational purposes only and should not be relied on to make determinations related to treatment of a medical condition.  Epidemic Answers has not verified and does not guaranty the accuracy of the information provided in this document.