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The following article was published in Your Health Magazine. Our mission is to empower people to live healthier.
Shaz Siddiqi, MD
What Is a Gluten Allergy?
Allergy & Asthma Care Centers
. http://www.myallergycare.com/

What Is a Gluten Allergy?

Wheat allergy, gluten sensitivity, and celiac disease are very common food allergies that tend to be confused with one another. Let's try and clear up some of the differences.

In general, wheat allergy occurs in young children where they develop an allergic antibody called IgE against wheat proteins. They will usually be able to tolerate other grains such as rye, barley and oats just fine. If they consume wheat products, however, symptoms are usually immediate and commonly include vomiting and rash. Although reactions of this type to wheat are usually not life threatening, carrying injectable epinephrine is strongly recommended as a precaution. The good news is IgE-mediated wheat allergy is usually outgrown in kids between 3-5 years of age.

Gluten is one of many specific types of proteins in wheat but also occurs in other grains such as rye and barley. Oats do not contain gluten and are generally safe in gluten sensitive individuals but cross-contamination by other grains in oat products should be considered.

An allergy to gluten is usually caused by a more complex immune reaction comprised of different white blood cells. This tends to be a delayed type of allergy that may slowly set in over several weeks or months. Symptoms tend to include belly pain, vomiting and persistent diarrhea.

Avoiding gluten usually results in rapid improvement, usually in just a couple of weeks. Lab tests for antibodies against gluten may be negative and an endoscopy test may not show any abnormalities either. Therefore, gluten allergy is commonly diagnosed on clinical symptoms and improvement after a implementing a strict gluten free diet.

Celiac disease is a more severe type of gluten sensitivity where lab tests can commonly detect specific IgA antibodies directed against certain human proteins. The most common is tissue transglutaminase and will be positive in over 95% of patients, as long as they do not have a deficiency in IgA antibody and have not been avoiding gluten in their diet at the time of testing.

Celiac disease has symptoms similar to gluten allergy but may be accompanied by other more serious problems such as anorexia, rashes and arthritis. Endoscopy may show the hallmark sign of flattened small intestinal villi. Again, avoidance of gluten products in one's diet usually results in a rapid recovery. Therefore, most patients have a favorable prognosis.

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