Gluten Allergy
There is much confusion among both patients and medical professionals concerning the diagnosis and treatment of three separate conditions--a gluten allergy, a gluten intolerance, and celiac disease.
A gluten allergy is an immune system reaction to gluten, which is a sticky protein found in grains, such as wheat, rye, and barley. That means that if the immune system detects gluten it will launch a series of antibodies to try to destroy it and remove it from the body. This is actually a malfunction of the immune system which results in an allergic reaction--sneezing, coughing , wheezing, swelling, and sometimes, anaphylactic shock, which can cause respiratory failure and even death.
A gluten intolerance is a bodily reaction to the protein. gluten, but the immune system is not involved. It may cause all kinds of flu-like, gastro-intestinal symptoms, including
diarrhea, flatulence, acid reflux, blood in the stools, fatigue or weight loss. but while these symptoms might be uncomfortable, they are not life-threatening.
Celiac disease is as serious as a gluten allergy as it affects the body’s autoimmune system in the same way, but it goes one step further. With celiac disease the immune system’s reaction to gluten gets to the point where it starts to eat the surface hairs of the small intestine. Celiac disease is inherited--it can also be present after surgeries or other immune-system diseases. It is quite common among Americans, with 1 in every 133 people affected..
Although all three of these conditions are different, the treatment for all of them will involve eliminating gluten-containing products from the diet. Diagnosis involves a blood test for IgA endomysial antibodies, which are released by the immune system during an allergic reaction to gluten.
It’s hard to consume a gluten-free diet--it literally means making new lifestyle choices that will have to last forever. Most grains, pastas, cereals, and processed foods contain gluten. Gluten is used in all kinds of thickeners, stabilizers, starches and preservatives.
It is also found in such common items as potato chips, candies, hot dogs, processed sandwich meats, gravies, french fries, bouillon cubes, tortilla chips, many varieties of soup, soy sauce and even self-basting turkey.
Gluten is also in brown rice syrup--an ingredient used as a sweetener in many different products. In recent years, more and more people have been diagnosed with a gluten allergy and as a result, gluten-free foods are becoming more available. Simple food choices such as “plain” (non-processed) meat, fish, rice, vegetables and fruits, do not contain gluten. There is some controversy as to whether people with a gluten allergy should eat oats and oat products--many people can do so safely but not all.
If you are diagnosed with a gluten allergy, be especially careful when eating out as many restaurant foods that might sound safe do have gluten, so the best practice is always to ask if it has gluten before ordering.
There is no way to prevent a gluten allergy, it is usually inherited, but with knowledge and a proper gluten-free diet, the disease can be managed quite successfully.