Knowledge about the disease and its symptoms is as important as knowing its treatment. This article will provide you an overview about gluten allergy, its symptoms, and how to manage this condition.
Overview
Gluten intolerance or allergy is a reaction of the body to gluten or foods containing gluten. Gluten is a substance that is commonly found in wheat, barley, rye and oats and is found mostly in daily foods. This makes it very difficult for people who suffer from this condition to manage it. A most serious form of this condition is known as celiac disease. Celiac disease is a hereditary condition that affects the body’s immune system that results in damaging the intestinal mucosa.
Symptoms
Gluten allergy symptoms will vary among individual but can be life threatening to people are who very sensitive to gluten. Common symptoms include upset stomach, abdominal cramps, hives, swelling, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and asthma. Celiac disease, on the other hand, manifests symptoms like abnormal stool formation, irritability, impaired growth, and poor appetite in children. Diarrhea, abdominal bloating and cramping, constipation, and weight loss are common among adults.
Management
An allergy test is necessary to confirm the diagnosis. There is no cure for this condition but it can, however, be prevented. The only treatment available for this type of allergy is to totally eradicate gluten from the diet. As mentioned, gluten is mostly found or incorporated in foods that we ate everyday making management of this condition quite difficult. A person must altogether avoid products containing high amount of gluten particularly wheat. Reading food content labels can help manage the allergy better. This is especially very important for people who have high sensitivity to gluten. Eating foods with gluten in reduced amount may be just fine for people who have minor reactions.
Hope this article will help you get to know gluten allergy better. This type of allergy has no known cure but it can be managed and prevented by avoiding gluten.