All Blood Tests

A wheat allergy is an immune system response to one or several of the proteins contained in wheat (albumin, globulin, gliadin and gluten) while a wheat intolerance is the failure of the body’s digestive system to properly break down the proteins in wheat. An allergy can cause sudden, life-threatening reactions, called anaphylaxis but it is much less common than an intolerance. An intolerance is believed to affect 15% of the U.S. population and in general, causes a variety of symptoms that are less severe than a true allergy. These symptoms can still undermine a person’s health and lifestyle.

Recognizing the Symptoms

The symptoms of a wheat allergy and an intolerance can easily be confused. Both can be gastrointestinal, like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, cramps, abdominal pain and constipation. Some intolerance symptoms can masquerade as histamine responses, like rashes, eczema flare-ups, headaches, and congestion. Generally, an intolerance has a wider array of possible symptoms, including fatigue/lethargy, stiff, aching joints, depression, mood swings, and a variety of other ailments. Intolerance symptoms can also occur anywhere from immediately after eating a wheat product to a few days afterward, making it even more difficult to accurately diagnose. Because it is such a common substance, someone with an intolerance adapts to wheat or may become somewhat desensitized to “not feeling well.”

Wheat intolerance symptoms are also easily confused with Celiac Disease, also known as Celiac Sprue. This is an inherited autoimmune condition in which gluten (on of the wheat proteins) causes the body’s immune system to damage the lining of the small intestines, resulting in an inability to absorb nutrients.

Is It an Allergy or an Intolerance?

“I knew I had a wheat intolerance when, after years of feeling bloated and constipated and finally being put on a laxative by my doctor to take for the rest of my life, my acupuncturist suggested that I might have a food allergy and recommended an elimination diet. I really wanted to know what was wrong with me. It was tricky at first because I had to really think about what had wheat in it (beer for example caught me off guard). However, after just three or four days of successfully avoiding wheat, I literally felt like a new woman. My tummy wasn’t bloated after every meal and overall, I just felt better.”

If you suffer from chronic symptoms like the woman described and suspect that you have a wheat allergy or intolerance, a board certified allergist can perform a blood test that can confirm or rule out an allergy. The test measures the levels of IgE protein (which triggers allergic reactions) in a blood sample when exposed to wheat proteins. If the test results are negative, the most effective way to rule out a wheat intolerance is an elimination diet under the supervision of a licensed physician. The tests for Celiac Disease are more extensive, involving a number of blood tests called the Celiac Blood Panel (CBP). They test for IgA and IgG proteins in the blood. If these are positive, a doctor will likely recommend a biopsy of the small intestine.

Living with Wheat Intolerance

Although it may seem daunting at first, avoiding wheat proteins does not sentence you to a life of deprivation. Whether you have a wheat allergy or an intolerance, the greater number of companies and organizations that are devoted to the wheat-free/gluten-free population makes gluten-free living very manageable. There are rice, corn, and bean flour-based products available at many mainstream grocers or health food stores. There are support groups, magazines, cookbooks, and recipe websites. Even restaurants are now catering to the growing wheat-sensitive population. As a wheat-intolerant friend once told me, “What I like about having an intolerance to wheat, quite honestly, is that I can’t just eat whatever I want. It keeps me on my toes! I don’t feel deprived of anything. And yet, I feel so much better.”