Often confused with celiac disease or wheat intolerance, wheat allergy is a distinct category all of its own. Wheat allergy is one of the eight most common allergies, it most commonly affects children but adults can have wheat allergies as well.  Not all reactions to wheat are caused by a wheat allergy though, so it is important to be diagnosed properly by your doctor or allergist to determine whether you are allergic to wheat.

Wheat allergies are caused by a number of different proteins in wheat including gluten. What differentiates a wheat allergy and celiac disease is the immune process. In celiac disease the immune system attacks the offending proteins as well as the intestinal wall, in a wheat allergy the process is the same as most food allergies where the immune system releases histamines that cause the symptoms of the allergy.

Wheat allergy symptoms are for the most part similar to those of any food allergy and can occur between minutes and hours of ingestion or inhalation of wheat products. Symptoms can include eczema, hives, itching, cramps, nausea, vomiting, runny nose and difficulty breathing.

Because wheat is a staple food in the diets of many cultures, it can be difficult to diagnose a wheat allergy. Often times normal clinical tests are not effective and an elimination challenge is the best way to get a diagnosis. During elimination challenge patients are allowed to eat only certain foods, and foods are added back in after a certain amount of time, one at a time to see what foods present a problem.

Avoiding wheat products is the primary treatment for a wheat allergy, this used to be a very difficult diet to follow since wheat is in pretty much everything, but now days because of the prevalence of wheat related conditions finding alternatives has become much easier. Gluten free or wheat free can be obtained at any health food store and many supermarkets. Recipes for making your own foods are becoming easy to find, and foods are much more palatable than they were 20 years ago.

Wheat allergies like many food allergies can lead to an anaphylactic reaction that can be life threatening and requires an epinephrine shot and trip to the emergency room. Symptoms of anaphylaxis include difficulty breathing, drop in blood pressure and going into shock, a rapid pulse and possible loss of consciousness.