Ravina Sewani

Wheat allergy is an allergic reaction to foods containing wheat. Allergic reactions can be caused by eating wheat and also, in some cases, by inhaling wheat flour. Wheat is found in many foods, including some you might not suspect, such as soy sauce, ice cream and hot dogs. Wheat allergy sometimes is confused with celiac disease, but these conditions differ. Wheat allergy occurs when your body produces antibodies to proteins found in wheat. In celiac disease, a specific protein in wheat — gluten — causes a different kind of abnormal immune system reaction. Symptoms of wheat allergy:<ul><li>Swelling, itching or irritation of the mouth or throat</li><li>Hives, itchy rash or swelling of the skin</li><li>Nasal congestion</li><li>Headache</li><li>Difficulty breathing</li><li>Cramps, nausea or vomiting</li><li>Diarrhoea</li><li>Anaphylaxis</li></ul> Causes:Exposure to a wheat protein triggers the body's immune system for an allergic reaction. Your child can develop an allergy to any of the four classes of wheat proteins — albumin, globulin, gliadin and gluten. Sources of wheat proteins:<ul><li>Breads and bread crumbs</li><li>Cakes, muffins and cookies</li><li>Breakfast cereals</li><li>Pasta</li><li>Semolina</li><li>Soy sauce</li><li>Meat products, such as hot dogs</li><li>Dairy products, such as ice cream</li><li>Natural flavourings</li><li>Modified food starch</li><li>Vegetable gum</li><li>Cosmetics</li></ul> Risk factors:<ul><li>Family history: The chances of your child being allergic to wheat are higher if there is someone in the family who is allergic to wheat.</li><li>Age: Wheat allergy is most common in babies and toddlers, who have immature immune and digestive systems.</li></ul> Difference between Wheat Allergy and Celiac Disease:Wheat allergy involves an allergic response to any of the four proteins in wheat. Whereas, celiac disease is caused by gluten (a type of wheat protein). Celiac disease does not cause an immune response but rather causes a problem with the absorption of food in the intestines. Diagnosis:Symptoms of wheat allergy and celiac disease are overlapping hence an allergist can determine whether an allergy is present or not. You will be required to give your child's medical history, family's medical history combined with a skin-prick or a blood test. Prevention:<ul><li>Develop a habit of reading the food labels for ingredients and allergy information.</li><li>Teach your child to mention about the allergy whenever (s)he goes to visit someone.</li><li>Inform your child’s school about your child’s allergy. You can also give the medicines prescribed by your child’s doctor to the school which they can use in case of sudden allergic reactions.</li><li>Be careful about the possibility of cross-contact; especially when visiting a restaurant.</li><li>Always keep the allergy medication handy for your child.</li></ul> Treatment:<ul><li>The best way to prevent allergies of any sort in children is to avoid the source of the allergen.</li><li>In allergies, paediatricians usually prescribe antihistamine medicines for mild allergic reactions. Whereas for severe allergic reactions like anaphylaxis, your child’s paediatrician will prescribe an adrenaline auto-injector (AAI).</li></ul>

Some children can develop allergic reactions towards wheat and need to be fed on a different cereal.

Wheat allergy

Cereal allergies are caused due to immune reactions against proteins present in cereals. Cereals are grains from the grass family like wheat, rice, oats, maize, barley, corn, and millet. Wheat allergy is the most common allergy among all. There are certain pseudo cereals like buckwheat, quinoa, chia seeds which belong to the non-grass family. Allergic reactions to these are very rare.Children who have eczema are at a greater risk of developing rice allergy.Children with an allergy to fruits like peach have more chances of developing allergic reactions against corn kernels.Gluten sensitive children are at a risk of developing allergic reactions to one or more cereals. Before ruling out other cereals on this basis, it is advisable to consult with your child’s paediatrician.Celiac disease is commonly misunderstood with cereal allergy because it shows similar symptoms like cereal allergy.Always keep the allergy medications handy; especially carry adrenaline auto injectors like EpiPen in case of history of severe allergic reactions or asthma. Gluten sensitivity and wheat allergy:<ul><li>Gluten sensitivity and wheat allergy are different. Gluten sensitivity results from a protein (gluten) present in wheat, rye, or barley. It is not life threatening like wheat allergy. This is called Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS). It is diagnosed when the doctors are sure that the child neither has wheat allergy nor celiac disease.</li><li>Celiac disease is a serious form of gluten sensitivity and is a life-threatening autoimmune disease. Celiac disease causes inflammation of the small intestine due to adverse reaction to gluten. If this disease is not timely diagnosed, it can cause health issues due to malnutrition.</li><li>Wheat allergy, on the other hand, results from an immune response triggered due to any of the many proteins present in wheat. The allergic reactions to wheat range from mild to severe. Severe life-threatening allergic reactions are known as ‘anaphylaxis’ and require immediate medical attention. Anaphylaxis is a less common reaction of wheat allergy.</li></ul> Symptoms:<ul><li>Nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing or dry cough</li><li>Eczema (a dry, itchy rash) or hives (reddish, swollen, itchy areas on the skin)</li><li>Redness of the skin around the mouth or eyes</li><li>Itchy mouth, ear canal or lip swelling, odd taste in the mouth</li><li>Nausea or vomiting, diarrhoea or stomach pain</li><li>Severe reactions include loss of consciousness, chest pain, turning pale, shortness of breath, trouble swallowing, or anaphylaxis.</li></ul> Diagnosis:<ul><li>Diagnosis of wheat allergy is difficult as few of its symptoms overlap with that of celiac disease and gluten sensitivity. Hence, it is of utmost importance that you get your child diagnosed by a healthcare expert.</li><li>For diagnosis, the paediatrician will evaluate your child's medical/family history, existing conditions like asthma, eczema and other food allergies; along with a skin prick test, blood test or Oral Food Challenge.</li></ul> Precautions and Treatments:<ul><li>Your child must avoid consuming all wheat based foods and products; but can still enjoy rye and barley products unlike in gluten sensitivity.</li><li>Develop a habit of reading the food labels for ingredients and allergy information.</li><li>Teach your child to mention about the allergy whenever he/she goes to visit someone.</li><li>Inform your child’s school about your child’s allergy to soy. You can also give the medicines prescribed by your doctor to the school which they can use in case of sudden allergic reactions.</li><li>Your child’s paediatrician might prescribe antihistamine medicines to fight against allergic reactions due to soy. Always give medications for allergy under proper guidance of the doctor.</li><li>Always keep the allergy medication handy for your child.</li></ul> Sources of wheat:<ul><li>Bread, pastas, cookies, baking mixes</li><li>Note that if your child is only allergic to wheat and is not gluten-sensitive, then you can give him/her other grains like rice, corn, quinoa, oats, rye, barley.</li><li>Also, buckwheat is not associated with wheat even though it sounds like a type of wheat so you can opt for that as well.</li></ul>

Among all the cereal allergies, the most common one is the allergy to wheat.

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Wheat allergy

Cereal allergy

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