Allergy — Gluten Allergy / Gluten Free Diet / Yeast Allergy / Asthma / + other Allergies — Page 47

Gluten Allergy Risk in Restaurant

by Allergy Guy

Yesterday, I went to Nates, an Ottawa-area deli-restaurant.

This was not a good choice for anyone with an allergy to gluten. The choice of restaurant was not mine to make however. I was stuck with the choice of deciding to go, and risk triggering my gluten allergy, or just not going.

For various reasons, which I will not explain here, I decided to go.

This is not a place that is sympathetic to allergies.

I called ahead, to see what might be safe to eat. They had such a bad attitude over the phone, I seriously had my doubts. So I prepared by eating before showing up. This was definitely a good strategy.

When they took my order at the restaurant, I explained my wheat and gluten allergy. The waiter was not interested. “Just give me your order” was his attitude and pretty much his exact words. So I ordered the smoked meat (they are known for their smoked meat in Ottawa), without bread. This was a risky move as I could not be sure that crumbs would be kept well away from my food.

I skipped the fries that came with the meat for two reasons:

  1. They might be coated in flour (unfortunately, this is quite common)
  2. The fries are probably deep-fried in the same oil as onion-rings, pierogi, and other wheat-infested foods.

It is too early to tell if I will be OK or not, but certainly I will not be eating at Nates again (for obvious reasons).

The building in which Nates is housed will be torn down in May 2008, which is no loss as far as I am concerned!

Unfortunately, they also have a branch at the Ottawa airport, so if you must eat at that airport, definitely bring your own food if you have a gluten allergy!

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Gluten in your Salad?!

by Allergy Guy

If you are allergic to gluten, you may think that a salad is a safe bet at any restaurant.

This is almost true, but you may well run into problems if you make this assumption and do nothing else.

As always, ask questions!

The first and most obvious question is: “does this salad have gluten, wheat, bread crumbs, or any type of flour in it?”

More specifically, watch out for the following in green and Cesar’s salads:

  • Salad dressings. Many are gluten-free, but some are not. Read the ingredients!
  • Croutons! These are made with bread, which is made of wheat. Gluten-free croutons do exist, but you won’t find them in your average restaurant.
  • Bacon bits, if artificial. What the point if artificial bacon bits is, I don’t know! Anyhow, watch out for them as they may contain gluten.

Salads are OK for a gluten-free diet, as long as you ask the right questions, and make sure certain ingredients, including the ones mentioned above, are omitted from the salad.

Chicken salad may be OK for a gluten allergy, but in addition to the above, you have to watch out for how the chicken was prepared. Sometimes, chickens are coated in spices mixed with wheat. Bad news for your gluten allergy! Also, watch out for chicken that has been coated in bread crumbs.

Seafood salad may also be gluten-free, but watch out for crab. Crab is very rarely crab (you can call food just about anything these days, and then make it out of just about anything else). Crab is frequently fake crab – made of fish and wheat flour. Again, bad news for your gluten allergy!

These are but a few examples and things to watch out for when avoiding gluten and remaining allergy-free.

It all comes back to what I said at the start: ask questions!

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Latex Allergies and Carpets

by Allergy Guy

Have you ever wondered if your carpets are making you sick?

The rubber underlay found under most carpets can be a source of allergens if you are allergic to latex.

You may think that since the rubber is under the carpet, it is well away from you, and therefore should not be a problem. This may be true when the underlay is new, but over time, as it breaks down, it will release latex dust which can find its way into the air.

The solution to the carpet underlay problem is to use an underlay made of needle punched fabric rather than rubber.

For another reason carpets can make you sick, see new carpet illness

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Wheat Allergy Confusion – or is it dust?

by Allergy Guy

I have to admit that I’ve not been feeling great the past few weeks, and I’ve been blaming my allergies. More specifically, I’ve been blaming my symptoms on my wheat allergy.

The symptoms that were bothering me most were fatigue, insomnia, and waking up feeling very unrested. Also $brain_fog$, but that could have been due to lack of sleep, or it could have been allergy symptoms.

As usual, I suspected wheat. But something about my symptoms did not seem to match my usual reaction to this allergen.

As time went on, I became more tired and lethargic.

Mean while, it had occurred to me that the problem might be dust. I’d not done my dusting for probably six weeks or more – not good for someone with a dust allergy!

Finally, I vacuumed my room. There are about 101 other things I would rather do with my time, but the way I was feeling, none of them were getting done.

I also opened all the windows in the house, winter temperatures not withstanding. The good thing about winter is that because of the big difference between inside and out, a good air exchange happens very quickly, especially as the screens are all removed.

The improvement was swift. Just airing out the house seemed to clear my brain fog. I felt better within hours, so this was not a wheat allergy.

Last night I slept like a baby. I slept in, as I have been doing lately, but the difference is that this morning I woke up feeling rested for the first time in at least two weeks!

I hate to admit it, but dusting the house is an important chore.

Symptoms: Knowing the Difference

This story explains why it is good if you can tell the difference between one set of allergy symptoms and another – if you have more than one allergy. Most people with an allergy have more than just one allergen that they are sensitive to, so this is likely the position you will find yourself in as well.

I wish I could tell you what symptoms match which allergies, but everyone is different, so you must learn on your own exactly what you are allergic to, and how each allergen makes you feel.

Still, it can be confusing. Two clues tipped me off: timing and severity. On the occasions when I might have been exposed to wheat, symptoms seemed to start within a few hours. In my case, wheat allergy symptoms take about 24 hours to present themselves.

Secondly, I didn’t find the symptoms as bad as they normally would be for a wheat allergy, not in my case.

Everyone is different, so it is good for you to stay in touch with your own allergy symptoms.

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Gluten Linked to Seizures and Epilepsy

by Allergy Guy

The link between gluten and epilepsy has long been know, but that does not make it widely known.

This is unfortunate because there must be quite a few people out there taking medication to control their seizures, when eliminating gluten may solve the problem.

This does not mean that all seizures are caused by gluten. Still, it is something to watch out for.

If you have celiac disease, you will need to eliminate all gluten in any case, as the health effects of even small amounts of gluten can be serious (cancer for example).

Another symptom of celiac that is relevant here is cerebral calcifications, which can eventually lead to seizures.

The point is that people who experience epilepsy or other types of seizures should eliminate gluten from their diet and see if this improves their condition in any way.

However, when celiac disease is involved, seizure symptoms may not be reversed by eliminating gluten if these symptoms are allowed to continue without treatment for too long. Treatment in this case means eliminating all gluten from the patients diet.

The most common source of gluten in the Western diet is wheat, so a wheat-free diet takes care of most, but certainly not all of a gluten-free diet

Gluten Allergy information product

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Allergy Symptoms and Diagnosis

by Allergy Guy

Diagnosing an allergy based on symptoms can be extremely difficult. In many cases, the symptoms vary according to the individual rather than the allergen.

So if symptoms do not correlate very well to specific allergies, what does correlate and now can you relate symptoms to allergen?

The answer is to watch out for possible symptoms, and then try to notice if these symptoms occur when you come into contact with a specific allergen (or some time later).

Even this can be challenging if you experience delayed onset allergies. For example, you might eat something today and feel fine, but then not feel so great after a day or two. The good news is that delayed onset allergies are typically less serious than immediate allergies (which carry with them the risk of anaphylactic shock.

So do watch out for symptoms. Also pay close attention to timing.

While there is a challenge with allergy symptoms varying more from individual to individual, it is still possible to make broad assumptions about symptoms versus allergen. On the whole, the way you contact the allergen is more important than the allergen itself.

For example, if you have a contact allergy, for example to nickel, you will most likely end up with a rash. If you are allergic to mold, a runny nose is a typical reaction. On the other hand, dust allergies can cause brain fog, which can also confused with mold allergy symptoms.

Food allergy symptoms can be much more challenging. Any type of symptom is possible. For example, stomach upset is a typical food allergy symptom, but not all food allergies cause stomach upset. Food allergy symptoms can also include skin allergy reactions (among a diverse group of other possible symptoms for your body to randomly choose from), just the same as a direct contact allergy.

I generally use the broad term “allergy” to mean both a classic allergy and a hypersensitivity. There are certainly medical differences, and only an allergy in the true sense of the word can cause anaphylaxis. But when it comes to symptoms and deciding what you should avoid, the two conditions can be managed in similar ways (as long as the allergic reaction is mild).

All this said, there certainly do seem to be consistent allergic reactions in many people to some allergens, for example pollen (i.e. hay fever). In this case, sneezing, watery eyes, congestion and an itchy throat are typical.

What ever symptoms you do have, the main differentiation between allergy symptoms, and some other cause such as flu or a cold, is that allergy symptoms tend to either be seasonal or chronic, where as a viral infection such as the flu tends to last anywhere from a day to a week.

Seasonal allergies are pretty easy to spot because what ever symptoms you have, they tend to occur every year at about the same time.

Contact allergies can be relatively easy to spot too, if you know what to look for. If you have hives or a rash in a particular part of your body, and it turns out that this part of your body is coming in contact with something, metal for example (jewelry, a belt buckle, a watch band etc.), then you probably have a contact allergy. Remove the suspected and see if the problem goes away after a few days.

Anaphylaxis

One signature of a type-I hypersensitivity is anaphylaxis. Anaphylaxis is not necessarily dangerous, but can rapidly develop into life-threatening anaphylactic shock in rare case.

See the separate article on anaphylaxis for details about anaphylaxis.

Symptoms

A complete list of allergy symptoms is probably impossible, since there are probably a few individuals with unusual symptoms, but the most common allergy symptoms is possible.

Keep in mind that having one, several or all of the symptoms on this list does not automatically mean you have an allergy. Many other conditions can cause the exact same symptoms. The key is to recognize the symptoms and the timing, as noted above.

See the article Allergy Symptoms for a list of symptoms that many people experience.

Also see the anaphylaxis article for a list of symptoms specific to anaphylaxis.

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Mini Wheats And Intolerance

by Allergy Guy

I recently noticed that a surprising number of people have found this site by googling “mini wheats and intolerance“. Actually, almost any number is surprising, given that before this article was written, this website ranked at 51 in Google for that particular search term. That is a lot of websites to explore, none of which provide an answer.

So I guess I owe it to those of you who are searching to write an article specific to this subject. No one should have to sift through that many search results to get an answer to this question!

Here are a few facts about Mini Wheats:

  • They contain wheat
  • They are usually consumed with milk
  • They are highly processed

Lets take a look at these one by one.

Wheat can be hard to digest, and more and more people are discovering they have an allergy to wheat. Since wheat is pervasive in the Western diet (let’s assume that most eaters of Mini Wheats live in Western countries), it is unlikely that you would only suffer allergy symptoms due to wheat when eating Mini Wheats, but not bread, cake, soup, and just about most of what you probably eat. Unless you make a big effort to avoid wheat and gluten, you will be eating plenty of wheat.

I’ll assume anything as specific as an intolerance to Mini Wheats is not caused by wheat.

But now I am going to contradict myself and say that maybe, if you are allergic to wheat, your breakfast pushes you over the edge for various reasons. This is quite possible. It is also possible that you notice your wheat allergy symptoms more in the morning than any other time. So we won’t rule out a wheat allergy just yet after all. Let’s just say that it is less likely.

Milk is another common problem for a great many people. While some people have a milk allergy, a milk intolerance (inability to digest lactose is far more common. And it is common. Milk is also pretty pervasive in the Western diet, but not nearly so much as wheat. So it could be that your intake of milk is far more when you eat your Mini Wheats than at any other time. Ask yourself this: do you drink milk at other times, or have milk with other types of cerial, and have similar types of problems? If so, suspect milk. If not, milk is unlikely to be the problem.

Highly Processed Food is not healthy if consumed in large quantities. As processed food goes though, Mini Wheats is probably less processed than many other foods. I hope you will cut down on processed foods for general health reasons. Unless Mini Wheats is the only highly processed food you eat (unlikely), this is probably not the root cause of an intolerance to Mini Wheats.

Conclusion

An intolerance to Mini Wheats could be caused by a number of things, or combination of things. It could be due to a wheat allergy. Check out this Gluten Allergy information product for more information about how to avoid gluten. By avoiding gluten you will also be avoiding wheat.

Milk is also highly suspect. Think about other sources of milk in your diet. Cut them all out for a few days and see if you feel better. Don’t be surprised if your gut feels much more comfortable, you pass much less gas, and other symptoms go away.

Feel free to leave comments if you find this helpful, or if you find that you want more elaboration. Feedback is appreciated.

 

Resources

Gluten Allergy information product

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Wheat Allergy – What is it?

by Allergy Guy

A Wheat allergy is specifically an allergy or hypersensitivity to one of several proteins in wheat.

This is different from a gluten allergy, which is an allergy to the specific protein gluten – found in wheat as well as oats, barley and rye.

Do not confuse a wheat allergy with celiac. Although you must avoid wheat in either case, these two health problems are fundamentally different in two ways. One is the underlying problem. Celiac is an autoimmune disorder, not an allergy.

An allergy to wheat seems to be increasingly common, increasingly diagnosed, or both. Certainly, it is one of the top suspicious foods if allergies are suspected.

Managing a wheat allergy involves avoiding wheat in your diet. This can be quite complicated at first. It is much easier if you know how to cook (or learn how). You must also check all ingredients of very prepared food you eat, and watch what you are served at friends’ houses and at restaurants.

 

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Protein

by Allergy Guy

Protein


Proteins are fundamental building blocks in living organisms. Anything from cell walls and other structures, to enzymes and other functional chemicals are made up of proteins.

Proteins are large molecules made up of amino acids, and arranged in a very specific way. This specific size, shape and “texture” makes each protein unique and highly recognizable.

Many proteins are specific to a single species or small group of species.

For example, gluten is a protein – actually a class of proteins. Nearly identical gluten types occur in wheat, barley and rye. A similar type occurs in oats, and different gluten proteins occur in other grains.

Because proteins are so specific, and the immune system is so good and differentiating one from the other, someone with a an allergy to, say, wheat gluten, will probably not be allergic to oat gluten – although they may be allergic to that related protein as well in some cases.





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Anaphylactic Shock

by Allergy Guy

Anaphylactic Shock

Coming-Soon

symptoms of anaphylactic shock tend to develop rapidly although may be delayed and/or deceptively mild.

The victim may become uneasy, upset and red in the face. They may also develop a rapid heartbeat, prickling and itchiness in the skin, throbbing in the ears, sneezing, coughing and difficulty breathing. Shock may then follow, in which blood vessels become leaky, blood pressure falls and the person becomes cold, clammy and faint.

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