Gluten Allergy

An allergy is described as a condition where the immune system of the individual’s body reacts to some foreign object in an aggressive manner. Individuals who suffer from allergies experience symptoms that arise from the reaction of their bodies rather than from the substance that they have consumed. On its own, the substance that causes an allergic reaction is usually harmless and non-poisonous. However, when the reaction takes place, the individual will suffer from symptoms, some of which may be serious. Many allergies can be managed either by avoiding interaction with the allergen or by undergoing treatments that help to moderate the response of the immune system.

A gluten allergy is one where the individual is sensitive to food that contains a substance known as gluten.

Gluten is a protein that is found in many foods that are grain based. The extent to which an individual experiences a gluten allergy changes from person to person. An individual who experiences this problem will be perfectly fine as long as gluten is removed from the diet.

An individual suffering from a gluten allergy will experience some telltale gluten allergy symptoms. These gluten allergy symptoms include abdominal bloating, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain and many associated symptoms. Some of the associated gluten allergy symptoms include iron deficiency anemia, osteoporosis and fatigue. The reason that these last few gluten allergy symptoms are listed as associated symptoms is because they result from issues associated with a lack of nutrient absorption in the stomach. When the individual has a gluten allergy attack, the digestive system will be unable to absorb nutrients efficiently as the system will be struggling with the effects of the allergy. Therefore, nearly all foods consumed simultaneously with gluten will cause problems to the digestive system of the individual.
An individual who suffers from gluten allergy can only be sure of this condition once a gluten allergy diagnosis has been made. The gluten allergy diagnosis procedure involves the administration of a test which can be done on the blood of the individual. This type of blood test is conducted to check for the antibodies of gluten within the patient’s blood. Antibodies are responsible for stimulating the immune system response in the human body. When these antibodies interact with the substance that they are designed to tackle, there will be a reaction in the body. This reaction is often aggressive and will affect healthy parts of the body as well. A gluten allergy test is a routine medical procedure that can be conducted in any clinic or hospital. The routine nature of the gluten allergy test is helpful for gluten allergy sufferers as it means that they can be diagnosed without much fuss. Another important benefit of the gluten allergy diagnosis being made through a blood test is that this allergy can be ruled out easily on most subjects who display digestive distress. Often, complicated digestive problems demand complicated testing procedures that may be expensive and difficult to perform. The use of a blood test is therefore far more effective as it involves the patient for less than one minute. It would therefore take a great deal of negligence on the part of the patient or the doctor to have a gluten allergy pass without a proper diagnosis through a simple gluten allergy test.

Once the individual receives a gluten allergy diagnosis, there are measures that need to be taken to contain the problem. Allergic reactions to food may sometimes pass over a period of time. However, this is not always guaranteed. Therefore, the use of diet modification is recommended for all individuals who experience gluten allergy symptoms. The consumption of gluten free foods is the only way to avoid gluten allergy symptoms.

When an individual is diagnosed with a gluten allergy, he or she should review the diet completely. At a time like this, the individual is in a position where he or she is able to make comprehensive changes to the diet. A gluten free diet must be otherwise absolutely normal. In fact, the diet should contain nutritious and healthy foods while eliminating sources of gluten. This will help the individual recover from any health problems that have been occurring because of the gluten allergy problem.

Grains are the most common sources for gluten. Grains such as barley, rye and wheat are often included in most diets. The elimination of such foods is essential for an individual suffering from a gluten allergy. These food items can be replaced with foods such as soybean flour. There are now specific recipes that one can access which are designed for gluten allergy sufferers. These recipes seek to replicate the taste of a normal dish while replacing the offending gluten based ingredient or ingredients with those that do not contain gluten. Initially, this can be quite a pain for patients who are suffering from the condition. However, over time, the change in diet will be easy to enforce, especially once one’s family and friends are aware of the changes that are required in the diet. There are several important reasons why a gluten free diet should be followed by individuals who suffer from gluten allergy.

When the allergy is acting up, it means that the individual has consumed some gluten. At this stage, there will be an inflammation of the lining of the stomach or the intestines. When this happens, the process of digestion of food will be severely hampered. The body of such an individual will begin to suffer from serious nutritional deficiencies. These deficiencies occur because the body will not be able to absorb the nutrients from the food that is being consumed. Individuals with gluten allergy will, over a period of time, display symptoms that include serious vitamin deficiencies. Another important factor in the management of gluten allergies is the fact that an individual may experience some types of cancer if the condition is allowed to continuously disturb the intestines. People who change to a gluten free diet tend to be less prone to developing these health problems.

Submitted on January 16, 2014