Gluten Allergy | Wheat Allergy | Asthma Case Study | Allergy

Gluten Allergy and Asthma Case Study

by Allergy Guy

Gluten allergy or wheat allergy can cause asthma.  This is a reasonable conclusion backed up by hundreds of comments on this website about the link between wheat or gluten and asthma.

Here is a comment that is quite typical of what people with asthma often notice when they cut out wheat or gluten.I too suffered from asthma as a small child and suffered through allergy shots, medication and repeated hospitalizations until I “outgrew” it in early adulthood.

In the last few years my allergies (sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes, coughing and wheezing) worsened. I visited an allergy specialist and was diagnosed as severely allergic to cats and dust mites. I took allergy shots for threes years and used a variety of medications including inhalers to help with the symptoms.

Over the last year, my symptoms seemed to increase. The medications only offered limited relief, but made me feel tired and feeling worse than when I sneezed and coughed all day.

I noticed one day after drinking half a beer (which I rarely consume), that I began to sneeze and my throat itched. AHHH! I thought, maybe I have a wheat allergy as well..(my allergy specialist had not checked for food allergies as I could not point to one food that set off my symptoms).

Wheat, however, was one of the many things I had been found to be allergic to as a child. I decided to eliminate wheat and any gluten from my diet. After only about 4 days of eliminating gluten, I have stopped sneezing, my head is no longer congested, and I have rarely wheezed or coughed.

WOW!! I can’t wait to see how good I feel after a couple of weeks as I am sure some of the “remains” of the gluten I had consumed prior to 4 days ago are likely still lingering in my system. I have not felt this good in several months…. and have not used my inhaler, or taken ANY allergy medications.

I intend to continue the gluten free diet and have found the substitutions available to be very tasty. The bonus has been a noticed decrease in bloating, gas and indigestion as well…. and I have actually lost a couple of pounds.

Debby

That’s a great story, Debby! Notice how Debby noticed the connection between the beer and the allergy symptoms, taking the logical leap that wheat was the cause.  It may not have been, but Debby turned out to be right, lucky for her.

I also noticed that her allergist did not test her for a wheat or gluten allergy.  I find this surprising because they are common allergies, and she already had a history of wheat allergy.  Often, we can diagnose ourselves better than the doctor.

What is your experience with gluten allergy and asthma?  How did you make the connection?  Please leave a comment and share your experience.

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{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Amanda November 19, 2012 at 10:12

I have had lifelong, severe asthma. I was recently diagnosed with Celiac Disease and had read that many people’s asthma and eczema improve when they eliminate gluten or wheat from their diet. Unfortunately, I haven’t noticed improvement of those symptoms but just relieving my GI symptoms was a relief enough! Hopefully, after being gluten-free for even longer, I will notice an improvement in the other symptoms as well. The asthma and eczema have been lifelong, so I imagine I can’t undo 30 years of damage and inflammation in just 3 months.

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2 Allergy Guy November 19, 2012 at 12:20

Glad you’re noticing some improvement! Many people report an improvement in their asthma when they cut out wheat or gluten, but it may not help everyone. See Wheat, Gluten and Asthma and keep us posted on your progress!
I have eczema too. It started long after I’d cut out wheat, and is slowly (over several years) becoming less severe. Hope you have a faster recovery.

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3 Amanda November 19, 2012 at 12:23

I’m sorry to hear you have eczema too. I was looking for an “About You” section on your website but couldn’t find it. My asthma is mostly exacerbated by illness and environmental allergies: mold, pollen, wood fires, dust, animals, grass – basically anything that’s in the air! I’m lucky in that exercise helps my asthma (except during pollen seasons). Hopefully it will improve some more, as I’d love to not rely on steroid inhalers and other meds.

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