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I’ve researched, heard stories from readers and personally dealt with a large number of symptoms of a gluten allergy, it’s amazing all were related to gluten. Just in my family my mom had issues with her thyroid, my brother had ADHD and major headaches, my other brother has dealt with stomach issues and I have had to deal with digestive problems, flaky skin and a couple overnight stays in the hospital for liver and pancreas issues.
A gluten allergy will have various degrees of symptoms and discomfort. However, the most severe of the gluten allergies results in Celiac disease. This is an autoimmune disease, which simply means that the body attacks itself in an inappropriate immune system reaction. This disease can cause extreme pain if not treated. The best treatment is to eliminate gluten from your diet. The symptoms of gluten allergies will occur because of exposure to gliadin, a protein of the food molecule gluten found in wheat, barley, and rye.
A gluten intolerance, wheat allergy and celiac disease may all have common symptoms and all are treated with a gluten free diet. If you are not sure which degree of an allergy you have be sure to see a doctor for a blood test. A wheat allergy is very different than celiac disease. Wheat allergy symptoms much like celiac can range from skin rash to swelling, migraines or even difficulty breathing. Once the allergen is removed from the body or antihistamine is administered successfully, the body is not compromised in the long term as it is for those with celiac disease and are exposed to gluten.
A gluten intolerance is another condition that needs a gluten free diet. A gluten intolerance occurs when the body is incapable of metabolizing certain foods, typically because it lacks certain enzymes to break down food components associated with gluten. Symptoms of gluten intolerance are similar to celiac disease as well. You can have a gluten intolerance and have a negative reading on a celiac disease blood test.
Symptoms of gluten allergies may include one or more of the following:
It’s a long list and you likely have one or more of these symptoms if you are reading this post. After my mom was diagnosed with celiac disease I read up on symptoms and realized that many of my aches and pains were likely due to the disease or intolerance to gluten. After going on a gluten free diet the symptoms went away. Every now and then I slip up and eat something with gluten. (let me be the first to warn you – if you stray from the diet after several months the symptoms will come back and much more severe) it’s not fun.
Celiac disease untreated, can cause a host of health problems leading to malnutrition.
Feel free to leave in the comments section symptoms you are running into and our community of readers can respond with helpful ideas and experiences.
