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Wheat Allergy

Men's Health, Women's Health / By

Wheat Allergy

  • Wheat allergy is an allergic reaction to eating foods containing wheat, and in some cases, inhaling wheat flour.
  • People with a wheat allergy have an irregular immune system response to at least one of the proteins in wheat.
  • A wheat allergy is one of the most common childhood food allergies. However, it can also occur in adults.
  • Avoiding wheat is the primary treatment for wheat allergy, but that isn’t always as easy as it sounds.
  • Wheat is found in many foods, including some you might not suspect, such as soy sauce, ice cream and hot dogs.

List of Foods That Causes Wheat Allergy

  • Bran
  • Breadcrumbs
  • Bulgur
  • Couscous
  • Durum, durum flour, and durum wheat
  • Einkorn
  • Farina
  • Farro (also known as emmer)
  • Kamut
  • Semolina
  • Sprouted wheat
  • Triticale
  • Wheat (bran, germ, gluten, grass, malt, starch)
  • Wheat berries
  • Wheat flour (all types, including all-purpose, cake, enriched, graham, high protein or high gluten, and pastry)

Wheat Allergy VS. Celiac Disease

  • Wheat allergy sometimes is confused with celiac disease, but these conditions differ.
  • Wheat allergy occurs when your body produces antibodies to proteins found in wheat.
  • In celiac disease, a specific protein in wheat — gluten — causes a different kind of abnormal immune system reaction.

Symptoms

If you have a wheat allergy, you’re likely to have symptoms within minutes to hours after you eat something with wheat in it. Your symptoms may include:

  • Swelling, itching, or irritation in the mouth and throat
  • Swelling, itching, hives, or rash on the skin
  • Nose is congested
  • Headache
  • Problems breathing
  • Cramps, nausea, or vomiting
  • Diarrhea

For some people, wheat allergy may cause a life-threatening reaction called anaphylaxis in addition to the other symptoms. The symptoms for that are:

  • Tightness of the throat
  • Tightness or pain in the chest
  • Severe problems breathing
  • Trouble swallowing
  • Pale, blue skin color
  • Dizziness or fainting

Causes

  • A wheat allergy is an immune system. An allergic reaction occurs when the immune system mistakes a neutral or beneficial substance for a pathogen and attacks it.
  • An allergic reaction to wheat involves immunoglobulin antibodies reacting to at least one of the following proteins in wheat:
  • albumin
  • globulin
  • gliadin
  • glutenin, or gluten

Diagnosis and Treatments

  • Several strategies, including some tests, can help a doctor identify a wheat allergy. These include:
  • Keeping a food diary
  • Food Challenge Testing
  • Skin Prick Testing
  • Pinpointing the source
  • Blood testing

The best treatment for a wheat allergy is to avoid wheat proteins. This can be difficult, as so many foods contain wheat. It is therefore important to check food labels.

  • Antihistamines – lower an individual’s immune activity, eliminating or reducing the symptoms of allergy.
  • People should only use antihistamines under the guidance of a physician.
  • Epinephrine, or adrenaline – an emergency treatment for anaphylaxis.