Introduction

Is your child suffering from a runny nose, sneezing, and itchy eyes? Allergy season can hit fast and hard, with sudden fits of sneezing, a non-stop runny nose and itchy eyes leaving you feeling miserable. Allergies can be truly disruptive and create a real imbalance in your child’s daily health and wellness. As a parent, you are likely feeling anxious to help your child feel better as soon as possible. Let’s have a look at – what causes allergies and 3 holistic ways to help kids with allergies.

What causes allergies?

When a substance that is normally no threat at all to the human body, causes your immune system to overreact, then you have an allergy to that substance, whatever it is.  Some of the most common allergens include things like cat dander, pollen, various foods (like nuts and milk), mold, dust, and many more. When left untreated, allergies can leave your child in significant discomfort, resulting in poor sleep, missed activities, and sick days from school.

The severity of symptoms during an allergic reaction can vary widely. Symptoms of allergies include:

• Runny/stuffy nose
• Headache
• Sneezing
• Itchy eyes
• Coughing or scratchy throat
• Skin rash
• Swelling
• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Fatigue

Role of the immune system to help fight allergies

There is a direct relationship between stress on the immune system and increased allergic reactions. When your immune system is compromised or not working to its full potential, it’s not in the best position to fight allergens or any other imposed stresses. It can lead to you getting sick, your body overreacting to things like stings, foods, pollen and drugs and even making you depressed.

When your immune system is functioning well it helps to prevent disease and infection. It helps you to deal with stress and make sure you’re healthy overall.  It also tackles the invasion of foreign substances like pollution, dust and pollen and heads them off before they can do damage.  

What are the 3 holistic ways to help kids with allergies?

Allergies can make your little one feel miserable, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make it better. The good news is that there are some simple things that you can do to make your child feel better. Here are 3 holistic ways to help kids with allergies:

• Chiropractic care

Chiropractic care has been found to be very effective in relieving allergy symptoms and even stopping allergies. Everything comes down to how well your nervous system is working. If your spine is subluxated or misaligned, it can impact your nervous system and how it responds to the external environment – including allergies. Chiropractic adjustments help to take stress off your nervous system and allow it to better adapt to its surroundings and heal. 

• Diet

It’s no secret that a proper diet is key to maintaining optimal health. Adopting good eating habits can definitely have a positive impact on how seasonal allergies affect your child for this reason. Make them eat a variety of simple, unprocessed foods like fruits, veggies, whole grains and healthy fats while minimizing added salt.

• Manage Stress

Stress hormones wreak havoc in the body and especially in the immune system, making seasonal allergies even worse. Consider methods of stress management such as extra quiet time and self-care. Avoid overcommitments to activities (school clubs, sports, etc.) during allergy season.

Conclusion

From making it difficult to breathe to leaving you drowsy all day, allergies can have a lot of negative effects on your body. If you want to give your body a boost against allergies, we’re here to help you. At Blossom Family Chiropractic, we aim to help you have the best chance to optimize your health and well-being. We would love the opportunity to help you and your family achieve optimal health.

As one of St. Petersburg, Orlando, and Maitland Florida’s leading Pediatric and Family chiropractors, we’re always striving to provide you and your family with the best care and experience. If you are looking for prenatal, infant, or family chiropractic care – contact us to schedule an appointment, we can’t wait to help your family!

Serving St. Petersburg, Tampa, Orlando, and Maitland Florida from two office locations!

You know the pressure we are talking about. Sinus pressure feels like a bag of sand is sitting on your face and somehow your thoughts become foggy. Sinus problems are very uncomfortable feelings that have a negative effect on your day-to-day lifestyle. As adults, we struggle to manage the symptoms – imagine what our kiddos feel like. 

Here is everything you need to know about what causes sinus pressure in kids and how to treat it.

What causes sinus pressure?

Sinus pressure occurs when membranes around nasal passages become inflamed or swollen. When nasal passages and their tissues become irritated, mucus can build up instead of draining normally. This build-up causes swelling and often causes pain and pressure in your sinuses. Your child  could experience sinus pressure in their forehead, between their eyes, upper cheeks, or behind their eyes.

Inflammation in the sinuses can be caused by:

• Environmental irritants – In response to airborne pollutants, your sinuses could become inflamed and begin overproducing mucus creating that feeling of a swollen, stuffy nose.
• Common cold – The mucus buildup due to infections caused by bacteria or viruses can turn the common cold into a sinus infection.
• Sinus infection – Sinusitis, also known as a sinus infection, caused by allergies could cause sinus pressure and pain.

Can children also experience sinus pressure?

Yes! In fact, children have more of a problem with recurrent infections for several reasons. One is they have an amateur immune system. The opening of the sinuses is smaller, and the amount of swelling associated with an infection is about the same, so the openings close off more frequently, which leads to recurrent sinus infections.  

The challenge is that kiddos can not always communicate that they are feeling sinus pressure and instead will show you they are uncomfortable with their behavior. It’s hard to watch your child suffer with a stuffed nose and facial pain when they have a cold or allergies and their sinuses are inflamed. Rather than waiting for this to result in painful health issues that damage their overall well-being, you should strive to seek a safe, natural solution. That’s where chiropractic care comes in.

How chiropractic care helps with Sinus pressure?

The nervous system controls absolutely everything in the body, including the health of the immune system. The immune system fights off viruses and bacteria to prevent illnesses, as well as helps us heal quickly from any damage that does occur. Poor communication within your child’s nervous system – as a result of spinal misalignments –  leads to poor immune system health. 

Pediatric chiropractic adjustments aim to reduce spinal misalignments, which increases communication between the brain and body! This repaired communication gives your child’s body the tools it needs to properly fight an infection when it appears. 

From a preventative standpoint, we know that children who are regularly adjusted have more efficient draining within their sinuses, thus leaving less opportunity for mucus to settle to begin with. 

Conclusion

At Blossom Family Chiropractic, we aim to help your child to have the best chance to optimize their health and well-being. We’re here to help them with their sinus problems. 

As one of St. Petersburg’s and Orlando’s leading Pediatric chiropractors, we’re always striving to provide you and your kids with the best care and experience. If you are in the Tampa, St. Pete, or Orlando area and are looking for a chiropractor for your kid, contact us to schedule an appointment to see how we can help you and your family!

Does your baby have limited neck movement or keep their head tilted to one side? If you answered yes, your baby may have torticollis (or wryneck). This is when the child twists or tilts his or her neck to the side, angling it so the chin is turned to the other side. 

Let’s dive deep into what infant torticollis is, what causes it, the signs and symptoms to look out for, and what can help treat torticollis.

 

What is Infant Torticollis and what causes it?

Being a parent, your newborn’s health is undoubtedly the top priority. You want them to grow and develop in a healthy manner. But in some cases, after birth, babies develop a head tilt. When an infant is born with its head turned to one side and has difficulty moving it to the other, this is known as infant torticollis. Torticollis can happen due to positioning in the womb or after a difficult childbirth. It can be a real pain in the neck for newborns. It is very uncomfortable for them. Babies with torticollis can have difficulties with latch or breastfeeding on one side, as it hurts the infant to turn to the other side to nurse.

The longer torticollis is left untreated, the harder and longer it takes to resolve. If left untreated, it can also lead to –

• Coordination difficulties
• Learning difficulties
• Developmental delays
• ADHD
• Vision issues
• Neurodevelopmental issues

 

What are the symptoms of Torticollis?

If your baby has torticollis, you may notice the following signs or symptoms:

• Tilt the head in one direction
• Chin points the opposite way of the head tilt
• Neck muscle tightness or stiffness
• Swollen neck muscles
• Decreased neck range of motion
• The baby may show frustration when unable to turn their head
• May develop a flat spot on their head from keeping their head in the same position when lying down
• The trouble with breastfeeding and/or preferring one breast during feeding
• May have a soft lump in your baby’s neck muscle

How Does The Chiropractor Treat Torticollis?

Chiropractic care is an easy and safe way to detect and help with infant torticollis. Babies with torticollis usually experience subluxations in the upper cervical spinal area. Misalignment of the upper neck puts pressure on the nerves that innervate the muscles in the neck, which causes a limited range of motion, muscle tension, and typically a head tilt preference. This causes torticollis and can worsen with time. 

Chiropractic care focuses on reducing cervical subluxations. It helps to bring the spine into proper alignment, thus allowing the nervous system to communicate more swiftly with the body. This allows the weakened, stiff neck muscle to relax and stretch out, improving the range of motion and thus eliminating the torticollis. 

You might worry that chiropractic care will be too aggressive for your baby or that they must undergo a painful adjustment before their torticollis will disappear. But, you can rest assured, that infant chiropractic care is extremely gentle and safe.

 

At Blossom Family Chiropractic, we aim to help your little one start their new life on the best note. Your baby’s comfort is our number one priority.

As one of St. Petersburg’s top Pediatric chiropractors, we’re always striving to provide you and your kids with the best care and experience. If you are in the Tampa or St. Pete area and are looking for a chiropractor, contact us to schedule an appointment to see how we can help your kiddos!

Shortness of breath, wheezing, and coughing? Do you or a loved one live with these struggles? Are you familiar with this? You may be feeling the effects of asthma.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that causes inflammation and narrowing of the airways. It can occur at any age but is more common in children. The condition causes recurring periods of symptoms that include shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and tightness in the chest. But what causes asthma and how can this condition be improved? Let’s dive into that.

 

What causes Asthma?

Chronic asthma can feel overwhelming and frustrating, particularly for children. A wide range of conditions may trigger asthma, including genetics, environmental factors, or a combination of the two.

Factors that may put you at increased risk for asthma include:

• Environmental exposures
• Frequent viral infections
• Family history of asthma
• Respiratory infections – Allergies, cold, and bronchitis.
• Additives in some foods 
• Stress and strong emotions
• Physical activity
• Certain medications
• Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
• Exposure to secondhand smoke

 

Asthma can be a sign that something in the body is amiss. You may be wondering what can be done to help you or your child who is suffering from asthma. It may surprise you to find out that chiropractic care can alleviate symptoms of asthma, as well as improve overall health and well-being.

 

How Chiropractic Care Works For Asthma

When many of you think about chiropractic care, you think of seeking a way to alleviate back or neck pain. While this is true, the goal of chiropractic care is actually to improve and maintain overall health and well-being.

Regular chiropractic care can be very effective in treating asthma. Spinal misalignment or subluxation can cause changes in the function of the respiratory system that may lead to asthma. These include airway narrowing, which prevents sufficient airflow into the lungs, as well as inflammation. 

Misalignments in the spine can cause dysfunction in the central nervous system. When these are present, nerve communication is impacted which decreases the efficiency of the immune system and bodily processes, like breathing, can break down. 

Gentle chiropractic adjustments remove these misalignments, restore nerve communication, and improve functions of your body, including the lungs, which is hugely significant for those with asthma. 

Benefits of Chiropractic care for asthma

If you suffer from asthma, you will enjoy these main benefits of chiropractic care:

• Reduces the frequency of attacks

Misalignments in the spine can increase the number of attacks. It is important that energy effectively flows through the nerve endings. A non-aligned spine can disrupt energy flow through the nerve endings and trigger a host of health issues. Chiropractic care can help the spine to be aligned, which will improve the function of the lungs and possibly lead to fewer asthma attacks.

• Improved airflow

The lungs are vital for breathing, also, the diaphragm and airway play an important part. They cannot function properly if the spine is not aligned properly. Regular chiropractic adjustments help to align the spine and allow your diaphragm and airway to move as they should and create better airflow.

• Boost the immune system

Your nervous system is linked to the body’s immune system. When the spine is not aligned, it can create stress on your body which leads to a weakened immune system and may increase the risk of asthma attacks. By aligning the spine, chiropractic care helps to improve the functioning of your immune system and makes asthma attacks less likely.

 

Conclusion

At Blossom Family Chiropractic, we aim to return your body to optimal functioning, including your ability to breathe easily.

As one of St. Petersburg’s leading chiropractors, we’re always striving to provide you and your kids with the best care and experience. If you are in the Tampa or St. Pete area and are looking for a family chiropractor, contact us to schedule an appointment to see how we can help your kiddos!

 

Stomach pains? Fussy infant? Bloated?

As a parent, anything can send you into a panic when it comes to the health of your child and that includes constipation and digestive issues too. Constipation is when it is difficult for your baby to poop or when they are not pooping as often as normal. The question is – Is it normal? No.  Is there any help? Yes!

 Is it normal for an infant to be constipated?

We all know the discomfort of bloating and constipation, children feel the same pain and discomfort. Constipation, though common in a lot of kids, is not normal and can cause many issues depending on the severity and age of the child. Regular bowel movements are essential for the health of your child. Constipation is not only hard on their digestive system but can also cause stress on the family when the baby is crying and fussy.  In these situations, the parents are often suffering just as much as the child, because of the lack of sleep and constant worry as they try to help their baby feel better.

 What are the symptoms of constipation?

If your infant is dealing with these recurring symptoms, it could be constipation.

• Infrequent bowel movements
• Bowel movements that appear painful or difficult to pass
• Uncomfortable
• Irritability
• Change in eating and sleeping habits
• Hard stools
• Stomach pain and bloating
•  Being very fussy and spitting up more often 

 These behaviors and symptoms can cause a lot of frustration for your baby and for you as parents. The good news? There is one highly successful option for infants: chiropractic care. 

 

How Chiropractic care works for constipation in infants

Chiropractic care is a very important factor in aiding a child’s digestive system and can be key in getting them to have a bowel movement regularly. It will help restore normal bowel movement and ease symptoms of constipation. Misalignment in your child’s spine can put pressure on the nerves that are responsible for bowel movements. These nerves carry signals and information from the brain throughout the body.  

That being said, when these nerves are compressed, they aren’t able to get the message to the organs correctly and the digestive system can’t work the way it should which leads to constipation. 

Chiropractic care helps to gently adjust the spine to remove the interferences with nerves and restore normal spinal functions and open up the pathways for proper nervous system function. This allows the brain’s messages to get through to the stomach and intestines again and for normal bodily functions to be restored.

 

Conclusion

At Blossom Family Chiropractic, we often see children and infants brought in for constipation. Our goal is to adjust any involved segments of the spine that could be hindering your child’s ability to digest. We make them feel better, provide some relief to the whole family, and get their digestion function restored.

As one of St. Petersburg’s top pediatric chiropractors, we’re always striving to provide you and your kids with the best care and experience. If you are in the Tampa or St. Pete area and are looking for a pediatric chiropractor for your children, contact us to schedule an appointment to see how we can help your kiddos!