User:Izzykelly/Gluten-related disorders

Wheat Allergy
Main Article: Wheat Allergy

People can also experience adverse effects of wheat as a result of a wheat allergy. Wheat Allergy is caused by a reaction to the proteins that are in wheat, barley, and rye[1]. Symptoms of a wheat allergy are similar to the other gluten-related disorders such as; ingestion, diarrhea, constipation, bloating, headache, nausea, skin irritation, Occupational Asthma (baker's asthma), and exercise induced anaphylaxis. These symptoms have a short effect just after ingesting the proteins, unlike the long-term, chronic effects of having Celiac Disease.

A wheat allergy can be diagnosed a few ways, most of them are similar to any other food allergy like a dairy intolerance. The first way is through a blood sample, the doctors will take a look at the percentage of wheat proteins and antibodies in your blood to see if your body is properly breaking them down to be digested [1]. Another way is with a skin prick test, which is how most allergy tests are done. The last way of diagnosing a wheat allergy is done by a Double Blind Placebo Controlled food challenge test. A DBPC is conducted by rotation of certain foods in and out of your diet, and then gauging how your symptoms feel. This will help narrow down the food groups that cause the discomfort.

Symptoms
There are more than 250 reported symptoms of gluten sensitivity. The symptoms can differ from person to person, and they can change according to the age of the patient. The most common symptoms include diarrhea, fatigue, bloating, abdominal pain, nausea, constipation, and weight loss [2]. These are only some of the symptoms that are related to the digestive system. Other symptoms, unrelated to the digestive symptom, include skin irritation, bone softening, head aches, joint pain, numbness or tingling, and decreased spleen function. Children with gluten related disorders are more likely to have digestive related symptoms than adults[3]. Their symptoms include nausea, chronic diarrhea, pale and foul smelling waste, swollen belly, and gas.

Complications
For children, gluten related disorders can cause many complications such as damage to tooth enamel, weight loss/stunting, anemia, neurological disorders, delayed puberty, and seizures [3].

For adults, as well as children, there are complications of having to live by a gluten free diet or GDF. In recent years, there has been vast development in the options and quality for gluten free foods, but they are still lacking in nutritional value compared to regular foods. Most gluten free foods are lacking important vitamins such as fiber, magnesium, vitamin B, iron, and zinc [2]. foods that are starch rich should be used as a replacement for the foods containing gluten that cannot be eaten due to following a GDF. Some replacement options include rice, potatoes, corn, quinoa, and nuts.