Have you ever heard of gluten allergy?
What is gluten sensitivity?
Gluten sensitivity is a disease or immune reaction that occurs to a person when he eats gluten, which is a protein found mainly in wheat and barley. In this case, the immune system reacts abnormally and treats gluten as a harmful substance to the body. The immune reaction causes inflammation and disorders in the stomach lining and affects the absorption of nutrients.
Causes of gluten allergy
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, as we mentioned, and the immune system reacts to it for many reasons known as the causes of gluten sensitivity, including:
- Celiac disease: It is the most serious cause of the body's sensitivity to gluten. It is an autoimmune disease that a person suffers from for genetic or environmental reasons such as infection, dietary changes, or failure to introduce gluten to the child at an appropriate time.
- Wheat allergy: The body reacts immediately to eating wheat due to the stimulation of the immune system to produce antibodies against wheat protein, and this condition appears since childhood.
- Non-celiac gluten allergy: This is a condition that does not involve an autoimmune response like the celiac type and has no known cause other than stomach irritation and changes in the intestinal microbiome.
Read also: How is it done? Allergy test؟ وما الفرق بينه وبين فحص الحساسية للمضاد الحيوي؟
Symptoms of gluten allergy
Symptoms of gluten sensitivity are divided into digestive and non-digestive symptoms, and include the following:
Celiac digestive symptoms
There are signs that are closely related to digestive disorders in a celiac disease patient, whether children or adults, and they include:
- Chronic bloating. The patient feels full in the abdomen quickly after eating, even with a small amount.
- Exposure to diarrhea or chronic constipation with fatty, foul-smelling stools.
- Frequent and annoying gas due to poor absorption in the intestine.
- Abdominal pain and cramps after eating a meal containing gluten.
- Immediately after eating, the patient experiences nausea and vomiting.
Non-digestive symptoms
Symptoms not related to the digestive system commonly appear in adults, and include the following:
- The appearance of a chronic rash, causing severe itching and sometimes small bubbles on the surface of the skin.
- Constant feeling of fatigue and exhaustion due to lack of absorption of iron and vitamin B12.
- Delayed growth in children due to poor absorption of important elements into the body.
- Hair loss and weak nails due to lack of absorption of biotin and zinc.
- Headache with difficulty concentrating and forgetfulness, as well as confusion in thinking.
- Chronic pain in the joints and muscles due to immune reaction,
- A problem with fertility and childbearing, especially if treatment is neglected.
- Mood disorders, depression and anxiety.
Diagnosis of gluten sensitivity
Diagnosing gluten sensitivity depends on detecting the type of reaction that occurs in the body after eating gluten and the causes leading to it. Therefore, the diagnosis plan can be divided as follows:
How to diagnose celiac disease
Celiac disease, as we mentioned, is one of the most dangerous types and causes that lead to the body’s reaction to gluten, and it can be detected through:
- Blood test and test: tTG-IgA and EMA-IgA antibodies are checked while eating gluten so that they can be accurately measured and give an accurate result.
- Examining and measuring the total IgA level to ensure that there is no deficiency in this type of antibody.
- Genetic testing to confirm the presence of certain genes HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8, and if they are not present, this means that it is impossible to have celiac disease.
- A biopsy of the small intestine to examine and detect any damage to the intestinal villi, which is a step that determines and confirms the infection.
Methods for diagnosing non-celiac gluten sensitivity
Non-celiac gluten allergy is diagnosed by ruling out celiac disease and wheat allergy, first by conducting a blood test and gastrointestinal endoscopy, which gives negative results in the case of non-celiac allergy, then by completely avoiding gluten for a month and monitoring the symptoms, after which the protein is introduced again and the symptoms return observed.
Methods for diagnosing wheat allergy
As for the diagnosis of wheat allergy, it is done through the following methods:
- A blood test to measure IgE antibodies when eating wheat proteins.
- Skin allergy test by applying wheat extract to the skin and checking for an allergic response.
- Oral test: a small amount of wheat is eaten under the supervision of a doctor, then the result is monitored and symptoms are observed.
Book your consultation now at مركز أمراض الجهاز الهضمي At Al Mousa Specialist Hospital.
Treatment of gluten allergy
Before the doctor begins to develop a plan for treating gluten allergy, the patient must completely complete the tests and approved diagnostic methods, then determine the type and cause of the allergy, and then the condition should be dealt with by any of these methods:
Celiac treatment
Celiac disease is treated first by completely eliminating the diet that contains gluten, including wheat, barley, and oats, which contain gluten, and then relying on the following:
- Nutritional supplements containing calcium, iron, vitamin D, vitamin B12 and zinc according to the patient’s condition.
- Educating the patient and family, providing psychological support and nutritional education with a nutritionist, and attending support groups for celiac disease patients who suffer from bad psychological symptoms due to the disease.
It is worth noting that the Rafah Center of Al Mousa Specialist Hospital provides the best psychological support and counseling sessions for patients and helps many cases overcome the period of illness safely.
Treatment of wheat allergy
As for treating wheat allergy, it first includes avoiding wheat with all its derivatives and types, such as semolina and wheat flour, and can rely on oats and barley instead. Then the doctor prepares a prescription containing antihistamine medications such as cetirizine, and in some cases of severe allergies, the patient is given epinephrine injections to avoid the risk of anaphylactic shock.
Treatment of non-celiac allergies
In the case of treating non-celiac allergies, gluten and its products are only completely removed for a month and a half, and after improvement, gluten can be restored to the diet and the amount that the body can tolerate without any symptoms or allergic reaction being monitored.
9 tips for those who suffer from gluten allergy
Together, we learn about the 9 most important tips provided by specialist doctors at Al Mousa Specialist Hospital for those suffering from gluten allergy, including:
- Avoid all foods that contain gluten such as wheat, rye, barley and all their derivatives.
- Check the levels of calcium and vitamin D because celiac disease causes a deficiency of these elements.
- Before eating packaged food, read the label carefully to make sure it says “gluten-free.”
- Beware of food cross-contamination by using cookware with leftover food containing gluten.
- Choose safe food alternatives for yourself such as rice, quinoa, and oats without gluten.
- Educate yourself and your family more about the disease, its causes, and how to deal with it.
- Beware of eating outside the home and have a light backup meal with you.
- Be careful of supplements that contain wheat starch.
- Do regular checkups and follow up with your doctor regularly.
اقرا ايضا: ما هي Allergens ؟ مع أفضل دواء للحساسية
If you diagnose and treat gluten allergy quickly, you will avoid many serious health problems later, so do not neglect treatment and start immediately communicating with the specialist doctors at Al Mousa Specialist Hospital to develop a treatment plan that suits the condition you are suffering from at the hands of a group of nutritionists, psychological consultants, and many medical specialties. With us, you are safe.
Frequently asked questions
Below we answer the most common questions that we receive from many of our followers:
What is the difference between wheat allergy and gluten allergy?
Wheat allergy is a rapid allergic reaction to wheat that causes skin rashes and shortness of breath, while gluten or celiac disease is an immune disease that causes intestinal damage when eating foods containing gluten.
How do I know if I have gluten intolerance?
The infection can be confirmed by testing antibodies in the blood to detect celiac disease, and if the result is negative, this means that you have gluten intolerance, not allergy.
What does a gluten allergy patient eat?
You can eat all gluten-free foods such as rice, gluten-free oats, proteins such as fresh unprocessed meat, natural vegetables and fruits, and pure vegetable oils such as olive oil.
Sources:
Gluten Intolerance – clevelandclinic
Gluten sensitivity – coeliac
