Wheat Intolerance

The Facts You Need to Know About Wheat Intolerance

What is wheat intolerance? Wheat intolerance or gluten intolerance, also known as the celiac disease, is a digestive tract inflammatory condition. This condition is caused by gluten, a type of protein found in oats, barley, rye, and wheat. Though not considered a contagious illness, it is often genetic. One person in every thousand, usually between the ages of 30 and 45, is reportedly affected by celiac disease. Its classic symptoms include weight loss, lethargy, diarrhea, and vomiting. This condition causes the protein gluten to cause damage in the small intestine lining, which greatly reduces the stomach's ability to absorb the adequate nutrients from the food the person eats. This may also cause severe malnutrition when triggered often. Some people diagnosed with wheat intolerance also have celiac disease. Celiac disease is diagnosed by a stomach consultant or gastroenterologist, who performs an intestinal biopsy, where a tissue sample is taken from the small intestine. This test also involves the use of a flexible telescope or endoscope being passed into the stomach and the upper intestine so that the biopsy can be taken and small intestine lining can be inspected. Celiac disease may only be treated through the gluten- or wheat-free diet.

No immune response is involved in wheat intolerance cases. The reasons as to why people suffer from this condition remain unknown up to this time. However, there are some experts who believe that the lack of an enzyme necessary to digest wheat is one of the most possible reasons why people suffer from this condition. Some people also find foods like bread and pasta hard to digest because these foods absorb water and this condition causes discomfort in the person. Headaches, bloating, and joint pains are some of the symptoms wheat or gluten intolerance. If left untreated, the usual symptoms can actually lead to more serious and dangerous conditions, such as osteoporosis and gut cancer. Stomach cancer may be diagnosed by a stomach wall biopsy, which can possibly return to normal, along with some improved symptoms, when the patient adopts and observes a gluten free diet.

Some specialists however believe that diagnosing this condition is quite difficult. As of the moment, the only proper and most appropriate way to diagnose wheat intolerance is through the food challenge test, which is only carried out in hospitals. In this test, the patient is blindfolded and is tested for wheat under different controlled conditions. The patient has to stay in the hospital for three days for monitoring and for checking to see if the patient has developed any symptoms. If a symptom has developed, a food elimination program is then carried out under very strict supervision. As with all forms of food allergies, you should consult your doctor in the first instance that you think your body could not tolerate wheat. Your doctor will be able to perform some appropriate series of tests on you and recommend any changes you need to make to your diet.