Wheat Allergy

Wheat Allergy

There are stories appearing every day, advising us about some of the dreadful allergies that can result from eating particular types of food, including wheat. Whilst there is such a thing as wheat allergy, that does not inevitably mean you suffer from it, when the remotest signs of an allergy occur.

It is as well to know that wheat allergy is far from common, and other unfavorable reactions to wheat are also rare (0.1%, excluding coelic disease). There have been reports to suggest that food intolerance to wheat is increasing. But, it is also known that wheat based products could contain a variety of ingredients, that could be responsible for adverse reactions.

Food Intolerance and Food Allergy

Furthermore, there are two terms associated with wheat allergy that are often misused. They are “food intolerance" and “food allergy”. Some people believe they are identical, but this is not the case.

Food intolerance is not normally life threatening. It will not condition the immune system to overreact in the way it does in food wheat allergy. Nevertheless, it could result in symptoms such as migraine attacks or skin rashes, and in some cases, exacerbate the effects of disorders like eczema or asthma.

As with food allergy, wheat allergy is a potentially serious condition. It is an allergic reaction to a food that is triggered by the immune system and can have severe consequences. The Food Standards Agency has reported that the food allergen is identified by the immune system as a foreign body, to which it initiates an immune response. Immunoglobulin E (IgE). IgE is produced and binds to mast cells in the nose, mouth and gut. It causes the discharge of histamine that resulting in inflammation together with other symptoms of allergy.

Both wheat allergy and food allergy can cause violent reactions, with symptoms such as swelling of the lips and tongue (oedema), a red rash to, or in extreme cases, anaphylaxis that can prove to be fatal. Other symptoms of wheat allergy show up as asthma, and hives which is also known as urticaria.

Many people who think they have wheat allergy may have the less serious food intolerance. Sometimes, people may have endeavoured to remove a food from their diet, cheese for instance. Then the next time they eat it, they may develop a headache, and believe they have acquired a food allergy.

In 2001, the Flour Advisory Bureau's survey demonstrated that more than forty per cent of women, had eliminated particular foods from their diets over a five year period. Some health advisers are concerned that trendy ideas to do with cutting out foods like wheat, could do more harm than good. Many women who had eliminated wheat from their diet, because of wheat allergy scares, had failed to take any qualified dietary advice. Therefore, they were risking their health through not replacing the nutrients they had lost.

Summing Up

Wheat allergy is a food allergy. Food intolerance has been confused with food allergy. But food allergy, including wheat allergy, is generally more serious than food intolerance. Therefore, wheat allergy as with other food allergy must be properly diagnosed and treated, by qualified medical practitioners.

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