Gluten allergy – Am I allergic to gluten?
Knowing if you have a gluten allergy can be a difficult problem to diagnose, but there are a few symptoms to watch out for. If you’ve done your homework, you might already know that celiac disease and gluten intolerance aren’t the same dietary problem. They share many similarities, but are quite different. There are a few telltale signs to watch out for, so let’s run through a few.
Gluten allergy – Am I allergic to gluten? Here’s what to look for.
I have a close family member who is gluten intolerant, so I know many of the early signs to watch out for. At the time, many doctors weren’t sure if it was gluten intolerance or something else, and it can happen to you too. I will list the most common symptoms, with a brief description of the reasons, to help you understand what is going on in your body.
1. Diarrhea, and some cases of severe diarrhea, is one of the first things to watch out for. You may also find that you also have oily stools. The reason for this is that your body is not able to digest gluten properly and therefore rejects it, which gives you diarrhea and sometimes stomach pains and cramps.
2. Weight loss and weight gain. The latter is not always associated with gluten intolerance and celiac disease, but in some cases some people will see weight gain and not weight loss. Weight loss is very common and can happen almost overnight. I mentioned above that the body rejects gluten-based foods, but it can also mean that your body is not absorbing the daily nutrients it needs to function in a healthy way, leading to weight loss.
3. Tiredness and exhaustion. This is one of the first signs to be aware of, but it can also be due to chronic fatigue and not a gluten allergy. As you can see, many of them are interrelated. Not eating properly can lead to weight loss, diarrhea, and fatigue because your body isn’t getting healthy foods rich in vitamins and minerals.
Gluten allergy, here are some additional symptoms to watch out for.
Depression, joint pain, eczema, headaches and irritability. Iron deficiency is also something to watch out for, which can lead to lower energy levels. In women, you may also see infertility and an irregular menstrual cycle. However, I must point out that if you have more than one of these symptoms, it does not mean that you have celiac disease or gluten intolerance.
