Wheat Allergy: Symptoms and Treatment

Wheat allergy is not limited to any specific age and it can be found in people of all ages irrespective of gender or health condition. There are many common symptoms, which will be visible within minutes after eating food containing wheat. The common symptoms are:

•    Irritation or itching in mouth or throat
•    Swelling can also be found in mouth
•    Itchy rashes on skin
•    Nasal congestion and headache
•    Eyes will become itchy and watery
•    Difficulty in breathing
•    Nausea and vomiting
•    Diarrhoea
•    Anaphylaxis

There are four types of wheat proteins such as albumin, globulin, gliadin and gluten. One can develop allergy towards any one or more than one wheat proteins. In contradictory to the common belief, this allergy is not caused just by the consumption of food containing wheat, but use of many cosmetics, bath products, etc, which are rich in wheat proteins can also cause this allergy. Although, it is seen in all people, kids and toddlers are at risk as at this age as the immune system is not developed fully. Similarly, those who have wheat allergy hereditary are also at risk. 

Although most of the cases of wheat allergy will not cause much danger to the body health, it will certainly disturb the normal living. There are many forms, which are highly dangerous too. Hence, it is necessary to treat it immediately.

Treatments

Once you noticed the symptoms, you should consult a registered medical practitioner. The details such as how fast the symptoms are appearing after eating food and if there is any specific food, which is causing allergy mostly, etc should be revealed to the doctor.

There are several tests such as skin test, blood test, food challenge test, etc to identify the diseases. If prescribed by the doctor, you should undergo all these tests before treatment. After that, the treatment will be decided. Although all streams of medical sciences have effective treatments and remedies for, yet homeopathy wheat allergy is considered to be the best one.

As mentioned earlier, children are more prone to this type of allergy and homeopathy drugs will be the best one for them. Secondly, the medicines are comparatively safer and cheaper. Thus, most of the people prefer homeopathy for wheat allergy, and it is found to be highly effective.

Precautions to be taken

When you have diagnosed with wheat allergy, it is always better to inform others related to you. Thus, you can avoid having food containing wheat protein. This is most necessary in case of children. Similarly, you should make it a habit to read the label of packed foods and cosmetics to see whether they contain wheat proteins or not. Always prefer gluten free foods and control or avoid the consumption of wheat or food products containing wheat. Cosmetics, bath products, etc too are to be avoided if they are containing wheat proteins. You should be more cautious when dining out. It is always better to follow a strict diet prescribed by your doctor.

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Homeopathy treatment for wheat allergy

Wheat allergy is the outcome of extra sensitivity of the immune system to protein gluten in wheat.  Its specific causes are not yet known. The available evidence tends to show that wheat allergy is inherited. Gliadins and glutamines are the wheat proteins that form gluten together. Gluten causes immunoglobulin E-assisted reactions and the symptoms of wheat allergy.

Allergy symptoms

Wheat allergy symptoms include atopic dermatitis, urticaria, asthma and sometimes exercise-induced anaphylaxis. The four allergens in wheat are albumin, gliadian, globulin, and wheat gluten. In many countries, wheat is the staple food. In India, it is eaten in the form of chapatis, rotis, puris, paranthas, biscuits, cakes, breads, pavs, cookies, burgers and sandwiches. So, it becomes difficult to have a wheat-free diet. Wheat substitutes include ragi, millet, bajra, and jowar, corn, amaranth, arrow root, buckwheat, oat, potato, rice, or soybean.

The symptoms of wheat allergy include a respiratory reaction such as wheezing, a skin disease, or gastrointestinal disorders rooted in the damage to the inner lining of the small intestine. Affected by wheat allergy, villi in the small intestine lose their capability to absorb nutrients.

Detection tests

Even mere touching wheat products, breathing air carrying wheat flour particles and inhaling vapors of wheat products can cause allergy. Stools can be abnormal, foul smelling and clay-colored. They may show some blood too. Loss of appetite, vomiting, anemia and weight loss are also common. Wasted muscles in arms and legs and slow growth in children are also part of the symptoms. If someone with a healthy diet displays loss of weight, vitamin deficiency, and anemia, it could be a case of wheat allergy. Diarrhea is common among wheat allergy patients.

A positive biopsy of jejunum, a section of the small intestine, shows abnormal intestinal lining. Tests are conducted to check anemia and any retardation in growth. Detailed history of the patient and the family can help to reach a diagnosis. Some wheat allergy tests are conducted. They include blood test and skin prick test.

Gluten-free diet

The treatment of wheat allergy includes a life-long gluten-free diet. This necessitates elimination of all foods containing wheat. This is extremely difficult, if not impossible. Homeopathy wheat allergy approach is to remove both the signs and the symptoms. Homeopathy tries to treat the allergy and also do something about the original cause. It tries to overcome nutritional deficiencies by prescribing vitamin and mineral supplements. It also treats the patient’s personal susceptibility to the proteins in wheat.

Homeopathy treats the causes

Homeopathy medicines reduce the body’s hyper sensitivity to gluten to the normal level. When the patient’s stool becomes normal, when the hemoglobin level increases, and when the patient stops experiencing pain, the homeopath starts giving wheat biscuit or bread to the patient once or twice a week. This continues until the body begins to adapt itself to gluten. The quantity of biscuits or bread is increased to a single full meal of wheat every day. After a certain period, both the meals can include wheat, but the entire process is slow and gradual. 

Some of the homeopathic medicines useful in this treatment are berberis vulgaris, copavia officinalis, natrum mur, natrum sulph,  carbo veg, causticum, kali act, lachesis, plumbum met, colchicum, natrum carb, vomica, psorinum, rhus tox, and sulphur.

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