May 22, 2007
Other
Question from Oshkosh, Wisconsin, USA:
My 12-year-old daughter, diagnosed with type 1 six years ago, was recently admitted to the hospital. She had severe vomiting and mid back pain radiating to her upper abdomen. Her white count was 14,000 with shift to left. Her temperature was 103 degrees F and her C-reactive protein was high. They did blood cultures, stool cultures and urine cultures. All were negative. A CAT scan of the belly was negative. She improved on antibiotics. They were unable to give us a firm diagnosis. She now seems to be losing a large amount of hair when she brushes. Could this have been more of a inflammatory problem rather than an infection? I am concerned she has another autoimmune issue.
Answer:
You should discuss this with her physicians. Any illness can cause hair changes, but there are specific examinations and laboratory tests that should be considered to look for the cause of hair changes: thyroid and adrenal hormone levels, vitamin deficiencies, celiac disease, etc.
SB