Gluten Allergy

Gluten is the name of a protein found in cereals such as wheat, rye and barley, but also in low level oats. A gluten allergy is caused by the body reacting to the process of digesting this protein. Actually, gluten allergy is not truly an allergy but an intolerance in the digestive tract. This intolerance is thought to cause chronic health problems such as joint pain or arthritis type pain, anemia, digestive tract abnormalities, malnutrition and malabsorption disorders.

The symptoms of a gluten allergy are not the same for everyone. In addition, the severity of the symptoms can differ among gluten allergy sufferers. Severity can depend on the amount of gluten that has been consumed and the degree to which the sufferer is allergic to the food protein.

The most frequent gluten allergy symptoms include abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, hives and swelling. In addition, as with other types of allergies, the respiratory tract can also be affected. Plus, it's not uncommon to experience asthma, long term congestion, a stuffy nose and shortness of breath.

Allergic asthma is a symptom usually associated with the more serious forms of gluten allergy. If you suspect a gluten allergy, you should consult your physician immediately. Your physician will most likely run the two common allergy tests. First, there's a skin prick test performed to observe the reaction to various allergens. Next, there's a blood test. After the diagnosis is determined, your physician will chose the most appropriate treatment, according to the severity of your symptoms.

Dietary Changes For Gluten Allergies

When a person has been diagnosed with a gluten allergy, they should next consult a registered dietician for professional dietary advice. A registered dietician can prescribe a written diet which includes a list of foods to be avoided. In addition, a registered dietician can offer alternatives for those foods which are to be avoided, reducing the shock of a strict diet change.

If you have a gluten allergy, you'll likely do some of your shopping in a natural food store or a health food store. There are many products which have come on the market in the past few years which are gluten free. These products can be very helpful in making dietary changes. You'll have to vigilant in reading labels and cautious as well, since sometimes a label on the front of a product may be misleading.