Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement

What is Wheat Allergy, Know its Treatment, Home Remedies, Prognosis

Advertisement

What is Wheat Allergy?

Advertisement

Wheat is one of the most utilized food product in the U.S. Wheat is one of the top five field crops produced in America. As far as wheat allergy is concerned, it is different from the lactose disorder disease. Wheat allergy, in fact is the reaction of the body towards consumption of the food which contains wheat. Wheat allergy is considered as one of the most important food allergens in the U.S impacting a large number of people. For most of the people with wheat allergy, their life is not affected significantly. Wheat is found in different types of food products such as cereal extract, cracker meal, beer and soy sauce.

Advertisement
Advertisement
What is Wheat Allergy?
Advertisement

Wheat Allergy Vs. Gluten Intolerance Vs. Celiac Disease

Wheat allergy should not be confused with celiac disease or gluten intolerance as a persons’ body with wheat allergy reacts to wheat protein. Celiac disease or sprue is caused due to abnormal reaction of the immune system to gluten leading to complications such as malnutrition.

Causes of Wheat Allergy

Wheat allergy occurs when the body develops an allergy to the wheat proteins available in the food that we eat. Some of the types include albumin, globulin, and gluten. Generally, the food products in which they are available include bread, cakes, and muffins as well as cookies. Wheat allergy is common in people whose parents or siblings has some kind of allergy or allergy diseases like eczema or asthma. The more number of your family members has allergies, the greater is the chance of you developing an allergy such as a wheat allergy.

Wheat is also found in pasta, couscous, farina, and semolina. People who are allergic to wheat grain, may also face issues with oat, barley, and rye. It can also arise due to the wheat dependent anaphylaxis.

Wheat allergy manifests in the body when people after consuming wheat undertake exercise routine. The condition could become life-threatening for the person after a period of time.

Some people with wheat allergy are allergic to only one category of wheat while others are vulnerable to two or many of them. In short, pathogens of the body might interpret a perfectly useful substance as a threat to the body and attack with full force.

Signs and Symptoms of Wheat Allergy

One of the most important symptoms due to wheat allergy is nasal congestion. People may not be able to breathe because the nasal passage is blocked. In addition, sinus pressures may also cause fever.

Asthma could be a symptom of an allergy. Patients may find it increasingly difficult to get fresh air. If you are not undertaking the treatment, it might cause more harm than good in the long run.

When you experience itch and swelling on the skin, it indicates that the problem is related to wheat allergy. Sometimes, the patients might also suffer from nausea, vomiting as well as diarrhea.

Advertisement

In addition, irritation, as well as swelling of the mouth and throat, would appear if the problem is left untreated. Bloating symptoms should be avoided at all cost because it is bound to affect heart from a long-term perspective. Dizziness occurs during the advanced stage of the disease. Fast heart beat is also noticed in some patients due to constriction of the blood flow. Bloating is accompanied by chest pain as well as tightness.

After some time, the skin color becomes pale and the patient has to be admitted to the hospital.

Risk Factors for Wheat Allergy

Although there are many risk factors affecting wheat allergy but namely two of them have an everlasting impact. Family history is the primary reason that puts a person at the risk of contacting the problem . In short genetic factors can play spoilsport in the long run. If the parents had a wheat allergy, it is highly likely that the children might also suffer from the same.

Age is the secondary reason that may result in the occurrence of the syndrome. Children and infants might suffer from the issue because of the weak immune system. Pollen grain may also affect the individuals once they attain adulthood.

Complications of Wheat Allergy

Malnutrition is a common complication that occurs because of wheat allergy. Due to a plethora of symptoms, it is possible that the intestine gets damaged over a period of time. What more it does not allow the food particles to pass through the digestive passage. If the treatment is not available, it can also cause ulcers to the body.

Tests to Diagnose Wheat Allergy

Test have to be done to find whether the person is suffering from wheat allergy. A skin test is one of the most important diagnoses that is conducted to find the presence of the drops of the purified allergen extracts. Wheat particles are pricked into the skin in order to check the allergen reactions. After an interval of 15 minutes, if a red and itchy skin is noticed at the prick point, it is a strong manifestation of the problem. Prior to diagnosis, you have to be ready for the side effects such as itchiness and redness. A blood test is a sure shot way of detection of wheat allergy. Patients who have wheat allergy problem are advised by the physicians to undergo the blood test. The presence of allergen antibodies would go a long way in early diagnosis of wheat allergy. Wheat protein pathogens are found in the sample of the individuals.

Patients need to monitor the type of food they are eating and symptoms that occur over a certain time period. Food that cause wheat allergy should be immediately removed from the diet of the patients. Doctor needs to be at the helm of diagnosis to check when the allergy returns to the body.

Food challenge diagnosis is the best method to find the instances of wheat allergy. Consume the food that is causing the problem in reduced amount and increased the quantity gradually over a period of time. It will help to ascertain how the allergen is affecting the body.

Treatment for Wheat Allergy

The primary treatment for wheat allergy is to avoid the consumption of the wheat protein but there are other modes that can also be used to get relief. Some of the wheat allergy treatments are as follows:

Antihistamines are drugs that are known to reduce the symptoms of wheat allergy. They play an important role in avoiding discomfort such as bloating and also eliminate the overreaction of the immune system to food. You should consult the doctor before taking the prescription. Over the counter, the option would help to get the treatment effectively without spending a fortune.

Epinephrine should be administered to the patient suffering from anaphylaxis, which is a possible complication of wheat allergy. When people are affected by wheat allergy, it is vital to use the injections of epinephrine to get the desired results. Generally, the dual dosage of medicine is enough to remove the symptoms quickly and effectively. In the case of the advanced stage of complications, you may have to get admitted to the hospital. When Epinephrine is administered to the patient care should be taken to ensure that the person is not suffering from heart disease. If yes, it is better to consult the doctors and opt for other treatment. The sometimes emergency situation may arise due to medication, therefore patients are required to move to the emergency unit in order to get suitable treatment.

When the emergency strikes without forewarning people panic, however, one should try maintain composure and immediately call 911 to get relief. For instance, if the patient is not able to breathe, relying only on medication is a foolhardy decision. Instead, calling the medical team or visiting the hospital would be crucial to saving lives.

Prevention of Wheat Allergy

The wheat allergy cannot be prevented without creating a suitable food plan. For instance, problem foods should be off the menu. If you continue to have wheat protein in spite of wheat allergy, the results can be disastrous.

The patient is required to wear emergency identification tags such as bracelet round the clock as the emergency is triggered anytime.

People should always remember to carry the anti wheat allergy medications to prevent the symptoms from turning into a full-blown crisis.

In the case of severe reaction, do not forget to go to the emergency room and get relief from the symptoms. Nausea and bloating are life threatening symptoms that should not be taken lightly by the patients.

Prognosis/Outlook for Wheat Allergy

As far as prognosis or outlook is concerned, initial symptoms metamorphose into severe ones. Anaphylaxis is the terminal complication that occurs due to a wheat allergy. Blood pressure might drop quickly and the person would also lose consciousness. People may also complain of severe chest pain, therefore wait for the symptoms to subside is not a wise decision. Instead, one should immediately opt for treatment as quickly as possible. The worse case prognosis also includes the feeling among the patients that the world is doomed. Children will have similar symptoms but they might enumerate them in a different manner.

Home Remedies for Wheat Allergy

There are many home remedies for wheat allergy. Saline plays an important role in eliminating the blockade of the nasal passage. It also helps to remove the allergens from the body. In order to perform the task, one should add salt to warm water that might clear the airways.

  • Another home remedy for wheat allergy is apple cider vinegar which is mixed with water for regular sipping by the patients. Garlic cloves along with water can be quite a home remedy during allergies. Even supplements with garlic are available across stores.
  • Patients with wheat allergy need to consume lots of vitamin C food. They are essential to boost the immunity and help the body to recuperate from the symptoms of the disease.
  • Turmeric powder can be added to regular food in order to prevent the wheat allergy.
  • Honey is one of the most popular home remedies that boosts the immunity of the body from the pollen. People can take one teaspoonful of the same early in the morning.
  • Sandalwood with a wonderful scent can provide quick relief from the rashes on the skin. It needs to be applied along with the mashed papaya seeds.

Coping with Wheat Allergy

The only way to cope with the problem of wheat allergy is to avoid the wheat protein in the diet. Not only it is beneficial but helps the patients to stay away from expensive medications. Drugs have side effects and should be avoided by the patients. Consulting a diet specialist and acquiring a diet plan and sticking to it is the best way to cope with wheat allergy.

Advertisement
Team PainAssist
Team PainAssist
Written, Edited or Reviewed By: Team PainAssist, Pain Assist Inc. This article does not provide medical advice. See disclaimer
Last Modified On:December 5, 2022

Recent Posts

Related Posts

Advertisement