Gluten Allergy Symptoms

For years, many people have suffered unexpected the unexplained and often unexpected symptoms of what is now recognized to be gluten intolerance. We explain this allergy and offer some ideas for its management.

What is an allergy?

Your body automatically reacts to certain substances (called allergens) as part of its natural defence mechanism. For some people, the reaction to certain allergens is excessive and their bodies produce chemicals known as “histamines”. Histamines are the body’s defence to what it perceives as a harmful substance.

Excessive histamine production can result in various signs and symptoms such as skin rashes, breathing problems, abdominal cramps and so on.

An “allergy” (or allergic reaction) is the excessive production of histamines in response to various material (allergen) stimuli.

Gluten allergy symptoms

Gluten allergies tend to have fairly consistent signs and symptoms that include:

  • Swelling (not necessarily just the abdominal area)
  • Cramps of the abdominal region
  • Feeling of being “bloated”
  • Skin rashes or hives

Other secondary symptoms might include the triggering of other allergy related disorders such as asthma.

What is gluten?

Gluten is a protein found in barley, wheat, rye and some oats and is used for binding dough together so that it can be baked in mass produced production processes. It’s essential to the baking process because, without it, wheat based products just wouldn’t stick together.

How do I tell if I have a gluten allergy?

If you suspect that you might have gluten intolerance (see symptoms), the best thing to do is to see your doctor and ask to be referred to allergist who will be able to perform tests to diagnose if you are allergic or not.

I have an allergy to gluten. What can I do?

Fortunately, nowadays, there are many options for people that have a confirmed intolerance to wheat based products.

The first, and most obvious, thing to do is to actively avoid products that contain gluten. This includes commercially baked products such as:

  • Bread
  • Pasta
  • Cakes

Unfortunately, gluten doesn’t just appear in the obvious places such as bread. It is used in foods and products that you would not expect such as medicines, yoghurts, various processed meats and fish. It’s not easy to completely avoid products containing gluten if your usual food shop includes lots of processed items.

The best way of getting started with avoiding gluten is to start preparing meals fresh meat, vegetables and fruit and simply avoid the pre-packed items where possible. Fresh items will not contain gluten and once you have established some basic meals that work for you, you can start to add other foods such as gluten free wholemeal bread to make your meals more interesting.

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