What is a Gluten Allergy / gluten allergy

Gluten is most commonly found in grains like wheat, rye, and barely. It helps to bind food together and gives cakes, breads, and other baked goods their texture. Grains like these also contain other proteins that can cause allergic reactions but gluten is usually the offending protein. Gluten allergies range from can range from mild to severe and sometimes children with gluten allergies will eventually outgrow them. Although the severity of a person’s allergy can vary, the symptoms are usually them same.

A person with a gluten allergy may experience hives, swelling, cramps, nausea, vomiting, or trouble breathing. Depending on how severe a person’s allergies are, these symptoms can be annoyances or life threatening. Fortunately, a gluten allergy is easy to diagnose if a person reacts after eating wheat or other gluten containing product. Because so many foods contain gluten as well as other possible allergens, blood or skin tests may be needed but they are easily conducted by your doctor. 

Gluten allergies can be controlled by strictly limiting the intake of gluten or eliminating it altogether. If the allergy is mild, allergy shots may be enough to prevent any symptoms but sometimes in severe cases gluten will have to be totally avoided. Gluten allergies that develop in children are often outgrown similar to other childhood allergies like milk. Children are especially prone to suffer sever side affects of a gluten allergy if it goes undiagnosed because it can impact their growth and development. Gluten allergies that develop later in life can be severe too and often never go away. Adults that suddenly develop a gluten allergy don’t have to worry about their growth and development but if left unchecked it can still cause weight loss and other serious issues.

Being Gluten intolerant is a hereditary disease and affects the immune system. One of the more serious sides of the disease, also known as Celiac Disease, is an eventual nutrient deficiency. When people who are gluten intolerant consume gluten, the small intestine is damaged. This causes vitamins and other nutrients to not be absorbed properly. This can cause severe problems for children who go undiagnosed. Children with a gluten deficiency may experience impaired growth, poor muscle tone, poor appetite, and an over all failure to thrive.

Sometimes gluten intolerance will not present its self until later in life. For adults this means they properly absorbed nutrients as a child but may experience diarrhea, severe weight loss, cramping, bloating or constipation. Gluten allergies can present themselves at any time in life but are more common in people with a family history of the disease.

Because a gluten allergy can be life threatening, a proper diet is essential. There are many alternatives to wheat flour and other products that contain gluten. It can be challenging, however, to keep to a strict gluten free diet because so many products contain gluten. Reading labels carefully and using gluten free alternatives when cooking can provide may delicious alternatives and managing your diet is the safest way to deal with a gluten allergy.