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Allergies to wheat or gluten (a protein in many grains including
wheat) can be debilitating in some people. In other cases, people do
not have an allergy but intolerance to these foods.
Allergy and Intolerance to wheat
The difference between allergy and intolerance is that the allergies
compromise the immune system. A food intolerance
causes many undesired effects, but they are milder than allergies. Some of the
manifestations of a food intolerance are: indigestion, gas and other
undesirable symptoms that can weaken the body over time.
Symptoms of wheat intolerance
There are a lot of symptoms of intolerance to wheat. Among the
most common ones are:
- Headachesthe body.
- Swelling
- Some skin problems like rashes
- Migraine
- Asthma
Wheat allergies
Allergies can be dangerous. Some people become so sensitive that
just the smell of wheat flour can cause an allergic reaction.
Symptoms of wheat allergies:
- Hives
- Diarrhea
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Eczema
- Indigestion
- Skin blisters
- Anaphylaxis
A wheat allergy is difficult to detect by the person suffering
it,
the doctors usually get blood samples when they suspect an allergy.
Eliminating wheat
It is very difficult to eliminate wheat from the diet, because it
is present in many foods, not only in the obvious ones like bread
and pasta. Wheat is used to thicken sauces and give texture to many
foods; it is even used in some vitamins and other pills.
What to do?
If you suspect an allergy or have some of the above symptoms try to
eliminate wheat and observe if the symptoms improve or consult with
a physician.
Sometimes even if the blood test to determine the allergy is
negative, it does not rule out an allergy to gluten or wheat. If
there is continued weakness and frequent stomach problems without
further explanation, in some cases may be an allergy to gluten,
wheat or milk and the easiest way to identify it is to
completely eliminate these foods from the diet for a week or more
and see if the symptoms disappear or improve.
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