Gluten Allergy Symptoms

signs of celiac disease

What Are Common Gluten Allergy Symptoms?

Gluten allergy symptoms have become fairly common. The cause is a bad reaction to the gluten in rye, barley and wheat. The most common symptoms are detailed below.

Bloating

Bloating is when the stomach is filled with gas or swollen after eating. A study revealed 87 percent of individuals with gluten intolerance experienced this symptom.

Diarrhea

Most people get diarrhea occasionally. When this happens on a regular basis or smelly feces and constipation occur regularly it may be one of the gluten intolerance symptoms. This symptom is common and eating gluten can cause an inflammation in the stomach. This causes an inadequate absorption of nutrients, damage to the lining of the gut and results in frequent constipation or diarrhea. Constipation is a symptom for 25 percent of all individuals with gluten allergy symptoms and diarrhea is experienced by 50 percent. This causes serious health concerns including fatigue, dehydration and loss of electrolytes.

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Abdominal Pain

Abdominal pain and discomfort are the most common symptoms of gluten intolerance. These are experienced in 83 percent of all people with gluten allergy symptoms after consuming gluten.

Headaches

The occasional migraine or headache is fairly common. Gluten intolerance increases the chances of having a migraine. If this is the case and there is no apparent cause the issue may be gluten intolerance.

Fatigue

gluten free diet celiacGluten intolerance increases the chances of tiredness and fatigue. This is especially true right after eating gluten and experienced by 60 to 82 percent of all individuals with an intolerance for gluten. This can trigger an iron deficiency anemia increasing the lack of energy and fatigue.

Skin Problems

Gluten allergy symptoms affect the skin and may cause dermatitis herpetiformis. This is classified as a blistering skin condition. Every individual suffering from this disease has gluten sensitivity. Additional skin diseases caused by gluten intolerance include psoriasis, alopecia areata and chronic urticarial. The elimination of gluten has been shown to provide an improvement in these conditions.

Depression

Depression is common for six percent of the adult population every year. This number significantly increases for gluten intolerant individuals. This is due to the frequency of digestive issues believed to be linked to depression and anxiety. The most common theories for the cause of this depression include abnormal levels of serotonin, gluten exorphins and changes in the microbiota in the gut.

Unexplainable Weight Loss

There are numerous reasons for an unexpected loss of weight. One of them is a side effect of gluten allergy symptoms. A study revealed two-thirds of individuals with an intolerance had been losing weight for six months prior to their diagnosis. This loss of weight is caused by a combination of poor absorption of nutrients and numerous digestive symptoms.

Iron Deficiency Anemia

This condition causes low blood volume, shortness of breath, weakness, fatigue, headaches, pale skin and dizziness. This is caused because a gluten intolerance often results in an iron deficiency.

Brain Fog

This condition causes an inability to think clearly, mental fatigue, forgetfulness, a cloudy feeling and difficulty thinking. This affects 40 percent of all gluten intolerant individuals.

Gluten intolerance disease is a genetically inherited autoimmune digestive disease. Celiac disease (spelled coeliac in Europe) damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. When a person who has a Gluten Intolerance or is Celiac eats food-containing gluten such as wheat, barley & rye, their immune system responds by damaging the finger-like villi of the small intestine. When the villi becomes damaged, the body is unable to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, which can lead to malnourishment. Celiacs are more susceptible to number of other conditions, a few of which are Osteoporosis, Type 1 Diabetes, Thyroid Disease, Depression.

Signs of Gluten Allergy Symptomse (Celiac Symptoms)

What are the symptoms of celiac disease? There is a broad range of Signs of Celiac Disease (over 300) so it can be difficult to diagnose. Some common signs of celiac disease are:

  • Bloating
  • Chronic Fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Itchy Skin Rash
  • Irritability
  • White/Brown spots on your teeth
  • Abdominal Pain

Misdiagnosis

Many times those with celiac symptoms are incorrectly misdiagnosed as having other diseases. This is due to the fact that many of the same symptoms are shared by other diseases such as Crohns, chronic fatigue, diverticulitis, intestinal infections, irritable bowel, and ulcerative colitis.

Asymptomatic Celiac Disease

It is possible to have no symptoms of celiac disease. This is called asymptomatic celiac disease. The undamaged part of the small intestine is able to absorb enough nutrients to prevent symptoms of gluten intolerance, but asymptomatic celiacs are still at risk for complications of celiac disease. If you wonder if your symptoms might have something to do with the gluten in your diet, consult with your physician about removing all gluten from your diet.

Testing for Celiac Disease and Gluten Allergy Symptoms

If you think you might have celiac symptoms, please go to your physician immediately. They can do a blood test and then an intestinal biopsy to confirm if you have celiac disease. There is really no other way since both celiac disease and gluten intolerance have similar symptoms. For Treatment of gluten intolerance please see Treatment for Celiac Disease or Gluten Allergy Symptoms.
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