Reef tanks and kids with allergies

Our 5yr old son is allergic to pets (cats, dogs) and nuts. He breaks out with a crazy rash all over his body when he goes to his grand parents house where they had a cat (cat was 16 yrs old as passed away a few months ago). Seems like it's getting worse as he gets older, when he's at home it's not as bad but he's always itchy, sometimes to the point where he scratches his skin till some areas bleed. The dermatologist prescribed an onitment that we've been using with not much success, so when we read the possible side effects we stopped...included rare cases of cancer.

question: My tank is in the basement, we have no other pets...could it possibly be caused by the tank? I love my tank, but I would get rid of it in a second if it's the cause.

 

I'm not an allergy expert, so take my advice as such

I would say it is possible - allergies are weird that way. And I doubt there is a common allergy test for zoanthids... If you've eliminated every other more common causes in the house - dust mites and mildew - such as making sure your mattresses/bedding is ultra clean, making sure there isn't any mildew in the basement, cleaning stuffed animals, etc...then I'd get rid of the aquarium as a next step. Move it to a friend's house just in case it doesn't make a difference...

Has he had all the tests? Food allergies can be strange sometimes, with effects you'd never expect.

I am truly sympathetic to you going through this, it is so hard to watch our little ones suffering like that. I know the feeling - we'd do anything for them.

 

Your son could be allergic to mold and mildew and the tank my be a cause of these. Otherwise I would doubt it. I took allergy desensitization shots for about 10 years as a child and had aquariums during that time. They did not make my allergies any worse. I also had 5 or 6 scratch tests during that time to see what I was sensitive to. My sensitivity changed to other allergens during that time due to the shots. I chose to discontinue the shots due to my sensitivity changing. I still have allergy problems to this day.

I feel for you and your son. Good luck getting this under control.

 

I'm not a doctor and have only limited exposure to allergies, but I'll throw out the following food for thought:

- For an allergy to take effect, your son must come in contact with the substance causing the allergy.

- For anything in your tank to be causing the allergy, it would have to release something that then finds its way out of the tank, getting airborne, then get to your son.

- I would find the above scenario to be highly unlikely. The vast majority of seaborne organisms don't release anything into the air as a part of their life cycle. Certainly dieing/decaying things do, but unless you've got mass die off on the surface of your tank...

- Secondary effects could potentially be causing issues. As 2in10 mentions, perhaps mold/mildew. Otherwise, I think it's far more likely that some other substance in the house is causing the issue. Try to do what you can to isolate rooms, items, etc. to isolate the cause - does this go away when he's outside?

 

Shoot me a pm when you have time I may be able to help.my brother was deathly alergic to cats he went to this dr. For alternitive medicine and he's no longer allergic.he owns 2 cats now.same case with peanuts and afew other allergies

 

Thanks for all the responses everyone. I don't believe it's anything in the tank either, but I just wanted to throw the question out there to get some feedback. he's always with me at the tank, he doesn't stick his hands in it but he touches containers, feeders, etc and it doesn't get any worse. What I'm concerned about is the possibility of mold as a result of the tank's evaporation. I get about 1.5-2 gal evaporation and I do run a dehumidifier. I have no visible signs of mold but I think I'll look into getting the house tested. The home is only 7 yrs old but it was always dusty, when it was built the builder said it will settle down but we still see signs of it. I'll also look into getting a better filter system for the furnace, it's forced air. From time to time we hear things running around in the attic, it's covered with insulation so I can't see anything up there but I'm guessing it's chipmunks or worse, mice. I'm guessing this would contribute to the problem too so we'll have that checked out too. Depending on the time of year, he's itchy when he's outside too, we've been to Dr's, got the tests, but it's not easy finding the cause in our home, we know he reacts to it right away if we take him somewhere where there are dogs/cats.

 

I have the worst allergies possible... Lol Ive been hospitalized a few times from reactions to seasonal allergies... The only thing I could think your tank would have any effect on would be the humidity of your house. It could potentially cause mold to grow which is pretty obvious. Even if your son didnt have allergies I would recommend a dehumidifier. I have two at my house and atleast ten gallons of water gets pulled from the air a day. It has cut down on mold growth ALOT. As far as other treatment goes, look into getting your son into an allergist and have him tested for what he is allergic to. If he is that bad its probably a bunch of different allergens causing it. From there they could administer allergy shots if you are willing to go that route. I was on them for 3 years and I could finally be in the same room as a cat and not have to worry about my throat swelling shut. It changed my life and could help build up your son's immune system as well. I highly recommend it.