Wheat is a common ingredient found in many foods from bread and pasta to cereal and even sauces. If you suspect you have a wheat intolerance or wheat allergy, you need to be careful to avoid it or you risk developing nasty symptoms.
But how do you know if you have a food sensitivity? At least 45% of people in the UK will at some point suffer from food intolerance symptoms, whereas an actual allergy to wheat is much less common and only affects around 1% of the population.
Read on as we break down the differences and what you can do to seek further information…
Wheat intolerance
Some people have trouble digesting wheat due to a lack of enzymes within their system, which results in their body triggering an adverse reaction through various symptoms.
These symptoms don’t necessarily present themselves immediately and can be delayed for up to 72 hours. Symptoms include:
- Stomach ache or IBS
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Respiratory problems
- Depression
A simple food intolerance test from Test Your Intolerance will be able to confirm whether your body is producing IgG antibodies to wheat and causing this reaction. If a test identifies that you are sensitive to wheat, you’ll be able to make the necessary changes to your diet.
Wheat allergy
A wheat allergy is when someone finds themselves having an abnormal reaction to any of the proteins that are present in wheat.
An allergy is much more severe than intolerance as the symptoms could potentially be life-threatening if not treated properly. Reactions usually begin within minutes, and the most serious symptoms include:
- Difficulty breathing
- Itching
- Sneezing
- Problems with skin
- Stomach ache resulting in nausea or diarrhoea
- Anaphylaxis
Seek urgent medical attention if you have any of these symptoms and think it is due to a food allergy.
At-home allergy tests are a simple but effective way of avoiding these symptoms. By taking a small sample of blood and seeing if it shows sensitivity to specific allergens by producing immunoglobulin E (IgE), Test Your Intolerance will be able to show whether you have developed an allergy to wheat and potentially save you from a lot of problems in the future.
Get a test
Whether you have a wheat intolerance or an allergy, you’re going to want to know what is happening with your body. A definitive test is ultimately the best way of getting to the root of the issue as without it, the diagnosis will just be guesswork.
If you’re experiencing symptoms regularly when coming into contact with wheat, don’t hesitate to order a test online today. They can be done from anywhere in the world and are super convenient due to the simple fact that you don’t need to visit a GP surgery. And if you’re still unsure whether it’s an allergy or intolerance, our all-round Choice 70 test can identify both!
