As different as wheat allergy and celiac disease
are, people often confuse them.
Wheat allergy is an allergic reaction to foods
containing wheat and is a common food allergy in children. It usually develops
in infancy or toddlerhood; it is less common in adolescents and adults. As with
many allergies, children may outgrow a wheat allergy as they age.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease, an
abnormal immune response that is triggered by ingesting gluten, and affects the
small intestine. Autoimmune diseases mistakenly attack the body’s normal
tissues. This is a permanent condition and may present in childhood or
adulthood.
A wheat allergy generates an allergy-causing
antibody to a wheat protein (there are four, including gluten), which then
generates a range of mild to severe symptoms during the allergic reaction. In
celiac disease, the gluten protein is the culprit. Any suspicion about you or a
family member having either of these conditions should prompt a medical exam
and testing to accurately diagnose the problem.
It is possible for a person to have both a wheat
allergy and celiac disease.
Both share the common challenge of how to
satisfactorily eliminate certain (and often similar) foods from the diet. They
both also call for parents and guardians to adequately train their children to
say “no” to certain foods, become comfortable asking about ingredients in
what’s being served outside of the home, and read labels or learn to recognize
certain words relating to deleterious ingredients.
Wheat Allergy
Since ingesting wheat protein causes the immune
system to go into attack mode to try and get rid of the allergen, avoiding
wheat is the primary way to avoid wheat allergy.
We can all list the obvious foods where wheat
and wheat proteins are found such as baked goods, cereals, and pastas but some
foods might surprise you, as wheat protein is also in many prepared foods such
as soy sauce, condiments, beer, flavorings, candies, and much more. People with
wheat allergies should read every label of every item they purchase in the
supermarket, including cosmetics, to ensure they are not inadvertently exposed
to the allergen. If in doubt, contact the food manufacturer—better safe than
sorry! You can find a list of foods containing wheat here.
When switching to a wheat-free diet, try
alternate grains such as amaranth, barley, corn, oat, quinoa, rice, rye, and
tapioca. However, people with wheat allergy may also be allergic to barley,
rye, and oat due to them containing similar proteins so ask your physician if
you can eat these.
Wheat
allergy symptoms usually appear within minutes to a few hours of eating
something with wheat in it. They are similar to those of many other
allergies: swelling, itchy mouth, eyes, or skin, trouble breathing, and intestinal
distress. In severe cases there may be anaphylaxis. This is life-threatening,
with its own subset of extreme symptoms: swelling of the throat and trouble
swallowing, chest pain, rapid heartbeat, dizziness or fainting, change in
color, and severe breathing difficulty. Many people with severe allergies carry
injectable epinephrine with them to dispense in an emergency. A call to 911 is
strongly advisable whenever anyone suffers an anaphylactic reaction, even after
administering the injections.
Celiac disease
In celiac disease the body is highly sensitive
to gluten; the condition can result in poor absorption of essential nutrients
from your food because it attacks the small intestine, where absorption takes
place. If left untreated it can cause serious complications including malnutrition
and intestinal damage, but a completely gluten-free diet and lifestyle will
lead to healing. Permanently removing gluten from the diet, which is
found in wheat, rye, barley and sometimes oats, is the only treatment for
celiac disease. (Gluten-free oats are available and are found in many
gluten-free foods.)
After omitting gluten, the intestinal villi will
heal and absorption of nutrients will improve.
Symptoms of celiac disease are often different
in children and adults. In children, parents may notice irritability along with
various digestive symptoms such as:
- Vomiting
- Poor
weight gain or slower growth
- Abdominal
bloating or pain
- Persistent
diarrhea, abnormal stools
- Tooth
discolorations/defects
- Delayed
puberty
In adults the symptoms may be related to other
organ systems including:
- Iron
deficiency anemia
- Arthritis,
bone and joint pain, osteoporosis, fractures
- Fatigue
- Numbness
and tingling in the extremities
- Seizures
- Canker
sores
- Irregular
menstrual periods, infertility, miscarriage
- Itchy,
blistering skin rash
As with wheat allergy there are foods to
avoid—many more in this case—and care should be taken to read labels and ask
questions about hidden ingredients.
It’s not hard to put together a healthful,
well-rounded diet. There are many gluten-free starches and grains that celiac
sufferers can enjoy; fresh fish and meats (no breading or coating!), fruits and
vegetables, most dairy products are good to eat, and wines and distilled
spirits are allowed (no beer, which contains forbidden grains). For desserts
and sweets, there are many choices today but make sure the product is clearly
labeled as gluten-free. As with wheat allergy, beware of what could have
surprising ingredients in them.
You can see a list of allowed and prohibited
foods for those on a gluten-free diet here and the National
Foundation for Celia Awareness is a wonderful resource.
