What is a Gluten Allergy?
There is a rubbery like protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and low level oats called gluten. Gluten allows the bread to bind. You would notice this in baked breads and other baked goods.
There may also be a number of other proteins that may be the cause of allergy symptoms. Gluten may be the cause of the gluten allergy found in these grains. But, you may not know for sure.
The four primary proteins found in wheat, rye, and barley include: albumin, globulin, gliadin, and glutenin, better known as gluten. While the symptoms and severity of gluten allergy vary from one person to another, a person would generally experience hives, swelling, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, or asthma.
If the person is highly sensitive to gluten allergy, the symptoms could be life-threatening.
The good news about gluten allergy is that if the person has a reaction after eating wheat or wheat products, making an early diagnosis is quite easy. The challenge is because so many foods we eat are made from wheat, it becomes difficult to determine where the real problems are.
A trained allergist would need to do a skin prick test to better determine the gluten allergy problem. If the reaction is severe, the solution may involve elimination of the by products from the diet. If the gluten allergy is minor, the amount of wheat may be watched, allergy medication and shots taken to help the person with the gluten allergy.
If a child is the one with the gluten allergy, chances are they will outgrow this allergy. In children, the allergy can be seen as abnormal stools, irritability, poor muscle tone, wasting of the muscles, or abdominal distension growth. If found in the adult, there may be a significant weight loss, abdominal cramps, and bloating, or constipation.
A doctor will do a blood test in either cased to confirm the diagnosis. Once done, the treatment is to eliminate gluten from the diet. It is essential, therefore; to address things such as nutrients and deficiencies. Niacin, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, chromium, dolacin, and phosphorus, health care, and diet are matters to be discussed with your physician.