If you think you or your child could additionally be allergic to wheat, this post is a nice resource! We’re sharing common indicators and signs to look ahead to in addition to tricks to assist you decide if you’re coping with a wheat allergy or celiac disease. We’ve additionally included a list of meals to keep away from plus a hyperlink to a post with our favourite wheat free recipes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert!
What Are the Symptoms of a Wheat Allergy?
If you have a wheat allergy, your signs can come on inside minutes of consuming one thing with wheat, however sometimes the response won’t seem for a few hours.
Common signs of a wheat allergy include:
- Itchy rash, hives, and/or atopic dermatitis
- Itching, swelling and/or irritation of the mouth or throat
- Asthma and/or difficulty breathing
- Anaphylaxis*
- Headache
- Nasal congestion
- Itchy/Watery eyes
- Cramping and bloating of the stomach
- Nausea and/or vomitting
- Diarrhea
*If indicators of anaphylaxis are present, however certain to hunt IMMEDIATE medical attention.
What Causes a Wheat Allergy?
Wheat contains four different wheat proteins:
- albumin
- globulin
- gliadin
- gluten
If somebody has an allergy to a number of of those proteins, their immune system errors the protein(s) as a pathogen and assaults it, inflicting a number of of the signs listed above.
Children are extra susceptible to developing a wheat allergy as their immune and digestive systems aren’t fully developed, however many outgrow their allergy as they get older.
Family historical past additionally performs a role inside the event of a wheat allergy. If a shut member of the household is allergic to wheat, it will increase the likelihood that different people inside the household will develop a wheat allergy as well.
Some people solely develop wheat allergy signs in the event that they train inside a few hours of consuming wheat, whereas others develop a situation known as ‘baker’s asthma’ which causes breathing points when they inhale wheat flour.
How is a Wheat Allergy Diagnosed?
- Elimination diet. If you suspect you have a wheat allergy, a nice first step is to decide to an elimination diet. This involves completely eradicating wheat out of your diet for a interval of time, after which reintroducing it to consider how your physique reacts.
- Food problem test. If your signs are extra severe, you may want to take part in a supervised meals problem test at your allergists’s workplace or in a hospital. This involves swallowing capsules of allergens whereas an allergist/doctor monitors how your physique reacts.
- Skin test. A pores and skin test involves placing liquid drops of diluted allergens onto your skin, piercing the pores and skin through the drop, and ready to see how your pores and skin reacts. Skin tests aren’t definitive, so if swelling, itching, and/or hives develop, you’ll likely be despatched for additional testing to confirm if you have an allergy.
- Blood test. A blood test will detect antibodies to any meals you are allergic to.
Is a Wheat Allergy the Same as Celiac Disease?
No. While the signs are similar, there are some key variations between the two. A wheat allergy is a temporary immune response to a number of wheat proteins, whereas celiac illness causes damage to the liner of the small intestines over time, leading to diarrhea, bloating, weight loss, fatigue, and anemia. Untreated celiac illness can additionally prevent the small gut from absorbing nutrients, which can interfere with growth and development in children and result in different well being challenges in adults. Many people overcome wheat allergies as they get older, whereas celiac illness is a chronic autoimmune disorder.
11 Foods to Eat and Avoid with a Wheat Allergy
It’s important to notice that not all gluten-free meals are wheat-free, and never all wheat-free merchandise are gluten-free, which could make issues tricky.
If you have a wheat allergy, right here are eleven types of meals to avoid.
- All meals containing wheat and wheat proteins. While barley, oats, and rye are considered wheat-free, they can contain wheat proteins so learn labels carefully
- All meals containing gluten
- Breads, crackers, wraps, cereals, pastas, and baked goods, unless the label particularly states the product is wheat-free and no wheat proteins are listed inside the ingredients
- Snack foods like granola, cereal, and energy bars, chips and pretzels, sweet bars and snack mixes often contain wheat and wheat proteins
- Condiments like soy sauce, barbecue sauce, ketchup, marinades, spices, and sure salad dressings can contain wheat and wheat proteins
- Ice cream and ice cream cones
- Processed meats like hot dogs in addition to meat, crab, and shrimp substitutes
- Beverage mixes like espresso substitutes, chocolate milk mixes, and drink mixes
- Beer, ales, and root beer
- Gum
- Other items together with modified meals starch, gelatinized starch, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, pure flavourings, and monosodium glutamate
*This is not a full list of meals to keep away from with a wheat allergy
**Be certain to check labels to confirm wheat proteins are not current inside the meals you are confirming, and to make sure the meals you are shopping for have been processed in a wheat-free facility
If you’re looking for wheat free diet recipes to try, THIS POST has tons of scrumptious ideas the entire household will love!
If you or your child has a wheat allergy, I hope the information on this post proves helpful to you!
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