Wheat allergy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Wheat allergy |
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Wheat allergy happens when your body's immune system reacts badly to wheat. It's usually a food allergy, meaning you get symptoms after eating wheat. Sometimes, it can also be a contact allergy if you touch wheat, especially if it's part of your job, like for bakers.
Like all allergies, wheat allergy involves special cells in your body called mast cells and a type of antibody called immunoglobulin E. These work together to cause the allergic reaction. Usually, the allergy is only to the proteins found in wheat seeds. Some people react to specific wheat proteins, while others might react to proteins in many different seeds or plants.
Wheat allergy is quite rare. For example, a study in Japan in 2012 found that only about 0.21% of adults had it.
It's important to know that there are many different parts of wheat that can cause an allergy. These include proteins like gliadins and glutenins. The most serious reaction is called exercise/aspirin-induced anaphylaxis. This severe reaction is often linked to a specific type of gliadin protein. Other common symptoms include feeling sick, hives, and eczema.
It's also good to know that Gluten sensitivity is usually not the same as a wheat allergy. If you have a wheat allergy, you need to completely avoid foods that contain wheat and other grains with gluten. This is called a gluten-free diet.
What Causes Wheat Allergy?
Wheat contains different types of proteins. When you have a wheat allergy, your immune system mistakenly sees one or more of these proteins as harmful. This causes your body to react.
The main proteins in wheat that can cause allergies are:
- Prolamins: In wheat, these are called gliadins.
- Glutelins: In wheat, these are called glutenins.
These two groups of proteins together form what we commonly call gluten. While gluten also causes celiac disease, wheat allergy is different because it involves different types of immune cells and antibodies. Also, wheat allergies can be caused by more proteins than just the classic gluten ones.
Different Types of Wheat Allergens
Scientists have found at least 27 different parts of wheat that can cause an allergic reaction.
Gluten Proteins
Studies have shown that glutenins are often a common allergen in wheat. However, gliadins are linked to the most serious allergic reactions.
Other Wheat Proteins
Many other proteins in wheat can also cause allergies. Early studies found that many allergens were in a group called albumins. More recent studies have found allergies to other proteins, like amylase/trypsin inhibitors. The specific proteins people react to can be different depending on where they live, which suggests that genetics might play a role.
Other Types of Reactions
Wheat Pollen and Grass Allergies
Some people, especially those who work with food like bakers, can develop breathing problems from wheat. This is called an occupational disease. Studies have found many allergens in wheat, and some of these can also react with proteins from rye or even grass pollens. This means that if you're allergic to wheat, you might also react to other grains like rye, barley, or oats, and even some grass pollens.
Allergies from Processed Wheat
When wheat proteins are broken down into smaller pieces, they are called wheat protein hydrolysates. These are sometimes added to foods and cosmetics. These smaller pieces can sometimes create new allergens that didn't exist in the original wheat protein. This can make some people very sensitive, causing immediate skin reactions like hives when they touch products with these hydrolysates.
Signs and Symptoms of Wheat Allergy
Wheat allergies can cause symptoms similar to other food or breathing allergies. However, two conditions, exercise/aspirin-induced anaphylaxis and hives, happen more often with wheat allergies.
Common symptoms of a wheat allergy include:
- Eczema (itchy skin rash)
- Hives (red, itchy bumps on the skin)
- Asthma (breathing difficulties)
- "Hay fever" (sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes)
- Angioedema (swelling of tissues, often around the face or throat)
- Stomach cramps, nausea, and vomiting
Rarer but more serious symptoms can include:
- Anaphylactic shock (a severe, life-threatening reaction)
- Anxiety or mood swings
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Headache
- Joint and muscle aches
- Palpitations (fast or irregular heartbeat)
- Psoriasis (a skin condition)
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) symptoms
- Swollen throat or tongue
- Feeling very tired
- Unexplained cough
It's important to know that reactions can become more serious if you are exposed to wheat repeatedly.
Serious Reactions: Asthma, Anaphylaxis, and Nasal Allergies
Exercise-Induced Anaphylaxis
Wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA) is a specific type of severe allergic reaction. In WDEIA, certain wheat proteins, like ω-gliadins, enter the bloodstream during exercise. This can cause a sudden and severe asthma attack or allergic reaction. Taking nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like aspirin can sometimes make this reaction more likely.
Baker's Allergy
Baker's allergy is a breathing allergy that affects people who work with flour. It can involve ω-gliadin from wheat. Sometimes, it's also caused by aspergillus amylase, which is an enzyme added to flour to improve baking.
Skin Conditions: Hives, Eczema
Skin conditions like contact sensitivity, atopic dermatitis, eczema, and hives are often linked to wheat allergies. These conditions can sometimes be avoided if children who are sensitive to wheat avoid it during their first year of life. Like with exercise-induced anaphylaxis, certain medications like aspirin can sometimes make these skin reactions worse.
Diagnosis of Wheat Allergy
Diagnosing a wheat allergy can sometimes be tricky. This is because some important wheat allergens, like omega-5 gliadin, are hard to detect in regular tests unless they are specially prepared. Also, when wheat proteins are digested, they can become even more allergenic, which might not show up on standard allergy tests.
Because many symptoms of wheat allergy (like eczema or asthma) can also be caused by other things, doctors often use a process of elimination. If your symptoms get better when you take medicines that calm your immune system, like Prednisone, it's likely that an allergy is the cause. If you have many symptoms linked to wheat allergies and they improve when you avoid wheat, then a wheat allergy is probable.
Prevention of Wheat Allergy
The best way to manage a wheat allergy is to completely avoid all foods that contain wheat and other gluten-containing grains. This is known as a gluten-free diet. However, some people with wheat allergy can still eat barley, rye, or oats.
For those with less severe forms of wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA), it might be enough to avoid eating wheat before exercising. They should also avoid other things that can trigger symptoms, like nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and alcohol.
Wheat can be hidden in many foods. Obvious sources include bread crumbs, flour, and gluten. Less obvious sources can be soy sauce, modified food starch, or natural flavorings. Always check food labels carefully!
Alternative Grains
If you have a wheat allergy, there are many other grains and flours you can use:
- Oats: Make sure they are certified gluten-free oats, meaning they haven't been cross-contaminated with wheat, rye, or barley.
- Rye bread: Some people with wheat allergies can eat rye bread as a substitute.
- Rice flour: This is a very common alternative.
- Other options: Millet flour, buckwheat, flax seed meal, corn meal, quinoa flour, chia seed flour, and tapioca starch are all great substitutes.
Treatment for Wheat Allergy
If someone with a wheat allergy accidentally eats wheat, the treatment depends on how sensitive they are.
- For mild reactions, a doctor might prescribe an antihistamine like diphenhydramine.
- Sometimes, a medicine called prednisone might be given to prevent a delayed allergic reaction.
- For severe allergic reactions, like anaphylactic shock, immediate treatment with an epinephrine pen is needed. This is a special injection device that can be used by anyone in an emergency.
See also
In Spanish: Alergia al trigo para niños
