Bread Allergies

I always loved hot bread with French cheese and wine. It’s hard for me to imagine that a bite of wheat bread can give someone allergic to bread at least headaches for few hours. Almost 15% of people on earth are allergic to bread. In this section of Seattle Organic Restaurants I’m going to talk about bread allergies and its symptoms.

There are several cases if you are allergic to bread. You may have a gastrointestinal reaction to a protein found in grain and wheat called gluten. You may also be allergic to different ingredient in bread like yeast or you may have celiac disease (food sensitivity that makes your immune system to attack your small intestine).

Usually people with bread allergies suffer from gluten intolerance or celiac disease. The symptoms are usually gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, gas bloating and abdominal pain. Gastrointestinal reaction can cause headaches, pain in joints, cramps in muscles and they can all lead to malnutrition, weight loss, fatigue or loss of memory and concentration. Celiac disease and gluten intolerance can cause skin irritation or rashes, neural sensitivity problems such as numbness in feet, fingers or hands, headaches and muscle pains.

All these symptoms can cause behavior change, depression, moodiness and irritability. When your body consumes a food that is allergic to, your immune system treats the allergen as a virus or bacteria and builds antibody against it. Food allergy symptoms are usually swelling of mouth, face or lips, gastrointestinal reactions such as nausea, vomiting or diarrhea, skin reactions such as swelling, eczema, hives or rashes and redness of skin, cardiovascular problems such as unconsciousness, drop in blood pressure and respiratory problems such as sneezing, coughing, runny nose or difficulty breathing.

Severe food allergies cause anaphylaxis and potentially fatal reactions. The symptoms of celiac disease and gluten intolerance are very similar to food allergy, therefore a proper blood and skin test with right diagnose can tell you to what kind of allergy you have. The only treatment for bread allergies is to stay away from gluten. A study shows that many people who have migraine attacks or headaches actually are sensitive to gluten. After those people went on a diet that was gluten free the headaches and other symptoms were disappeared. There are great restaurants in Seattle and east side that provide nutritious organic gluten free dishes if you have allergies to gluten.