Gluten Allergy
Gluten allergy is another type of food allergy. The allergen in food products with gluten causes the body to react and produce gluten allergy symptoms.
Gluten is found in various foods such as breads and other baked products. Gluten is a protein with a rubbery consistency, and it is usually derived from various grains like wheat, low-level oats, barley and rye. Wheat, barley and rye have four main proteins namely: albumin, gliadin, globulin and glutenin or gluten.
Symptoms
- itching and swelling of the tongue
- itching and swelling of the mouth
- diarrhea
- fatigue
- hives
- rash
- weight loss
- stomach aches/cramps
- runny nose
- itchy/sore eyes
- bloating
- constipation
These symptoms vary in severity which depends on the level of gluten allergy. Severe gluten allergy entails fatal symptoms which usually need emergency care at once.
Prevention
Many believe that gluten allergy can be outgrown. However, the best solution to not have gluten allergy attacks is to avoid eating gluten-rich foods. There are alternatives to gluten or the products which may contain gluten and its derivatives.
Since most Westerners consume bread as a staple, there are wheat-free breads that can substitute the latter. It takes some adjustment from eating non-gluten foods, but the pay-off is better than having sudden gluten attacks.
Treatment
As a routine, doctors will administer allergy test to determine the allergy and allergen/s. An injection or allergy shot may be given if the attack is severe. For preventive maintenance, a dose of anti-allergy pill may be prescribed until the allergy subsides.
A change in the person's diet is also advised as mentioned earlier. There are healthy choices that are gluten-free and most of them are available in local supermarkets and grocery.
It is beneficial to consult the doctor if you suspect that you have gluten allergy to control it early on. As always, prevention is better than cure.
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