Gluten allergies are relatively common. Some studies indicate that 1 in 167 apparently healthy children (0.6%) and 1 in 111 adults (0.9%) have a gluten allergy. When people with gastrointestinal complaints were studied, 1 in 40 children (2.5%) and 1 in 30 adults (3.3%) were found to have a gluten allergy. This makes a gluten allergy quite common, especially when people with chronically uncomfortable guts are considered.

Gluten allergy symptoms may be similar to the symptoms for celiac disease. In either case, management involved avoiding gluten. Still, I highly recommend you get a test for celiac to rule out this disease. If you have a gluten allergy, you don't need to worry about tiny amounts of gluten in your diet as long as you feel OK. On the other hand, if you have celiac disease, you must eliminate all gluten, even if you feel OK.

The only way to verify a gluten allergy is with a proper test, however you can use following symptoms as a guideline. If you have several of these symptoms, an allergy test for gluten is highly recommended. Insist on one even if you have a stubborn and ill-informed doctor!

• Upper repository tract problems (sustains, glue ear)
• Fatigue
• Chronic fatigue syndrome
• Mouth ulcers
• Anaemia
• Iron-deficiency anaemia
• Osteoporosis
• Weight loss
• Short stature in children
• Diarrhoea
• Constipation
• Abdominal bloating
• Crohn's disease
• Diverticulitis
• Depression
• Attention and behavioral problems (in children and adults)
• Autism
• Skin problems
• Irritability

Please note several things when considering this list:

1. Individual symptoms can vary tremendously. Someone with a gluten allergy will probably not have all of these symptoms, and may have other symptoms not listed here.
2. Although some symptoms seem contradictory, it is possible to alternate between one symptom and another, for example between diarrhoea and constipation.
3. Just because someone has one, some or all of these symptoms, does not mean to say they definitely have a gluten allergy. Other causes are possible.

Internal Links

• Celiac vs. Gluten
• Top 20 Food Allergies with Delayed Reactions
• Self-Testing for Food Allergies
• Allergy Symptoms

External Links

• Wikipedia on Gluten
• Canadian Society of Intestinal Research
• Science in Africa

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