by David Cowley

Created on: May 21, 2007

Help I Am Allergic To Wheat. If you have Wheat Allergy then you suffer from Allergies Type 1, also called Contact Allergies. The allergic reaction to wheat intolerance is caused by one or more of the 4 main groups of proteins found in wheat. The 4 proteins groups consist of, water-soluble, salt-soluble, alcohol-soluble and alcohol-insoluble. Different proportion of the proteins is found in wheat depending on the type of wheat being tested.

Scientists do not clearly understand why the immune system of people allergic to wheat considers some food proteins as harmful by the body. The immune system can mount a variety of defenses mechanisms against proteins that is considers as harmful or foreign. Symptoms can be very mild to life-threatening depending on the severity of your wheat allergies. They usually occur within a few minutes to a few hours after eating or inhaling wheat.

The proteins found in wheat trigger the immune system to reaction. Antibodies and histamines are releases into the blood stream in an attempt to neutralize the wheat protein. These chemicals trigger the allergic symptoms. In sever cases Epinephrine, also call Adrenaline, is administered to control the anaphylaxis reaction.

Except for specific groups, being allergic to wheat is considered relatively uncommon. Up to 30 percent of people in the baking industry is believed to have developed occupation asthma because of allergies or intolerance to wheat and flower.

Diagnosis of wheat allergies is usually performed by appropriate laboratory skin prick test. Self-diagnosis of wheat allergies can be done if a person has the same reaction every time after eating wheat-containing food. However the self-diagnosis is usually difficult because wheat is usually consumed with other foods and the type of wheat proteins varies greatly.

Avoidance of wheat-containing foods is the only effective treatment for people who are allergic to wheat. Avoidance can be very difficult because wheat protein is often hidden in other foods. Until a cure is found, read the labels of every food that you bring into your home. Because the manufacturing processes change continuously re-read the labels each time you purchase a product. On January 1, 2006 a new law was passed stating that all labels should be designed in such a way that a 7 year old child could read and understand the ingredients.

Avoid any food products that have Wheat, Bran, Bread Crumbs, Cereal Extract, Natural Flavoring, Starch, Vegetable Gum, Soy Sauce, Gluten, or Enriched Flower on the label until you know if that particular item will give you an Wheat Allergy reaction.

Always consult your doctor before using this information.

This Article is nutritional in nature and is not to be construed as medical advice.

Learn more about this author, David Cowley.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.