4 Ways To Recognize Gluten Intolerance

Some people may also experience symptoms such as diarrhea, constipation, nausea, vomiting, or heartburn. If you often have these kinds of symptoms, start keeping a diary to track them. Write down what you ate and how soon after your meal the symptoms began. Stomachaches have a lot of harmless causes, like eating too fast or overdoing the spicy foods. [5] X Research source But if you get bellyaches frequently after eating, it’s a good idea to get it checked out.

When you’re gluten intolerant, your immune system triggers inflammation in your intestines any time you eat gluten. This can make you feel exhausted, faint, or dizzy. [7] X Trustworthy Source Harvard Medical School Harvard Medical School’s Educational Site for the Public Go to source Unlike the occasional normal post-meal lethargy that may occur from time to time, you may feel completely exhausted after a meal if you have gluten intolerance.

Irritability may be related to fatigue, or it can occur as a result of feeling run down in general, similar to how you feel when you’re sick with a cold or the flu. Some people with gluten intolerance report having a “foggy mind” right after they eat. In other words, they easily lose their train of thought and find concentration difficult. [9] X Research source The good news is that these symptoms often improve quickly once you go to a gluten-free diet.

An occasional headache after a meal might be coincidence, so keep track of your headaches for a while and look for a pattern. Write down what you ate and how soon afterwards the headache started.

Aches, pains, and numbness can be symptoms of a lot of different conditions, so don’t assume gluten is the culprit. For example, numbness and pain in your hands and wrists can also be caused by carpal tunnel syndrome. [12] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source

Both celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity can cause unexplained weight loss. [14] X Research source It’s always a good idea to see your doctor about unexplained weight loss, no matter what other symptoms you might be having. They can help you figure out what’s going on and whether it’s anything to be concerned about. [15] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source

Gluten intolerance can also cause symptoms like “brain fog,” or difficulty concentrating. [17] X Research source If you have both gluten intolerance and ADHD, eating gluten can make your ADHD symptoms worse. [18] X Trustworthy Source PubMed Central Journal archive from the U. S. National Institutes of Health Go to source Fortunately, if you have a mood disorder or mental health condition related to gluten intolerance, changing your diet can make a major, positive difference in how you feel.

This kind of rash is called dermatitis herpetiformis. It’s possible to get the rash without having other gluten intolerance symptoms, such as bloating or an upset stomach. Once you switch to a gluten-free diet, this type of rash will typically clear up. Your doctor can also prescribe medications to help get your itching under control. [20] X Research source

Some doctors now routinely investigate the possibility of a gluten sensitivity in couples who are unsuccessfully trying to conceive and are suffering from unexplained infertility.

Symptoms may include: Itching, swelling, and irritation around or in the mouth Itchy rashes or hives Nasal congestion and itchy eyes Problems with the teeth (especially in small children) Stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea Wheezing or difficulty breathing. In rare cases, a wheat allergy can cause a severe reaction called anaphylaxis. Call emergency services if you have symptoms such as swelling of the mouth or throat, chest pain or tightness, severe difficulty breathing, pale or clammy skin, and dizziness or fainting.

Itching, swelling, and irritation around or in the mouth Itchy rashes or hives Nasal congestion and itchy eyes Problems with the teeth (especially in small children) Stomach cramps, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea Wheezing or difficulty breathing.

Your doctor may recommend blood tests to look for certain antibodies and genetic markers that are associated with celiac disease. If the blood tests show that you might have celiac disease, your doctor will do an endoscopy, which involves inserting a tiny camera into your intestine through a tube that goes down your throat. This may sound scary, but don’t worry—you’ll be given anesthetics and sedatives to help you relax and make the procedure pain-free. [25] X Trustworthy Source Mayo Clinic Educational website from one of the world’s leading hospitals Go to source

The only sure way to identify a non-celiac gluten sensitivity is to eliminate gluten from your diet and see if your symptoms improve.

After a few weeks, you can start adding foods back into your diet one at a time and see if your symptoms return. You’ll need to avoid any foods that contain sources of gluten, such as wheat, barley, rye, triticale, and oats that have been processed with other grains. You’ll be able to eat foods such as fresh fruits and vegetables, beans, nuts, and seeds, eggs, lean meats, and most dairy products. You can also eat foods made with gluten-free grains, such as corn, flax, arrowroot, and buckwheat.

Write down what you eat each day along with any symptoms, and keep track of the times of both your meals and the symptoms. For instance, you might note that you started day 2 with a mild headache, but that it was better by the early afternoon. Be sure to indicate whether the headache started before or after breakfast, and list exactly what you ate. Your doctor or nutritionist may provide or recommend a symptom diary that you can use.

If you’re testing for multiple different types of food sensitivities—such as dairy as well as gluten—you’ll need to be extra careful and systematic about how you add foods back into your diet. Otherwise, it will be hard to tell which food might have been causing the problem. If you confirm your gluten intolerance after re-introducing gluten into your diet, you will have to re-eliminate gluten-containing foods from your diet so that you can keep feeling better!

Replace gluten-containing foods such as wheat, barley, rye, semolina, and spelt with ingredients that do not contain gluten, such as arrowroot, peanut flour, quinoa, rice flour, and soy flour. Try these tips from the National Institute of Health to learn what you can and can’t eat: https://www. niddk. nih. gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/celiac-disease/eating-diet-nutrition Unlike a wheat allergy, which may improve eventually over time, a general intolerance to gluten is a permanent condition in most people.

Breads, crackers, muffins, cakes, and other baked goods Pasta and pizza Many fried and breaded foods Beer Cereal Some soups and processed meats Potato chips and French fries Some sauces and dairy products It may even be used in certain types of cosmetics (e. g. , some lipsticks) and as filler in medications.

Gluten-free sources of starch include potatoes, rice, corn, soy flax, and buckwheat (which, despite its name, is not a true wheat). Buckwheat can be used to make pancakes, porridges, baked goods, and pasta (such as Japanese soba noodles). Read food labels carefully to make sure that they have not been prepared with ingredients that contain gluten proteins. For example, some corn chips contain wheat flour. If you’re ever unsure about whether a food is safe for you, reach out to your doctor or dietitian. They can help you make good choices so you can keep on healing and feeling better!