The Difference Between Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Disease
You’re probably seeing a lot more “gluten-free” options on supermarket shelves and restaurant menus these days. That’s because gluten—proteins found in wheat, barley, triticale, and rye—can trigger your body to attack the lining of your small intestine if you have celiac disease, an autoimmune disease that can damage the lining of your intestines.
But skipping gluten isn’t just for people diagnosed with celiac disease. Other conditions, such as gluten intolerance and wheat allergy, share similar symptoms with celiac disease. It’s important to understand the differences among these gastrointestinal disorders so you can get appropriate treatment.
Celiac Disease
Celiac disease affects an estimated one in 100 people around the world. Many people are unaware they have the condition; more than 2 million Americans may be undiagnosed, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation.
The classic symptoms of celiac disease include diarrhea, cramps, nausea, bloating, and constipation. Many adults with celiac disease have symptoms of gluten intolerance that are unrelated to their digestive systems. Some of these symptoms include fatigue, bone and joint pain, migraines, skin rash, depression, and unexplained iron-deficiency anemia.
A blood test that checks for certain antibody proteins can help diagnose celiac disease. It’s important not to eliminate gluten from your diet before the blood test, since doing so can make your blood test show a false “normal” result. An endoscopy of your small intestine can allow your doctor to check for damage to the lining of your small intestine.
The only treatment for celiac disease is to avoid consuming gluten. If you do have celiac disease, your intestine’s ability to absorb nutrients may be impaired, which can result in nutrient deficiencies and raise the risk of osteoporosis.
Gluten Intolerance
You may have had symptoms that disappeared when gluten was out of your diet but still tested negative for celiac disease. This condition is often referred to as non-celiac gluten sensitivity or gluten intolerance. However, because researchers haven’t confirmed that symptoms of gluten intolerance are definitely linked to gluten, many health experts prefer the phrase “non-celiac wheat sensitivity” (NCWS).
NCWS has been viewed as less serious than celiac disease, because it appeared that there was no intestinal damage associated with NCWS. A 2016 study from Columbia University, however, found that in people with NCWS, gluten does trigger an immune reaction that can damage cells in the small intestine. The researchers acknowledge that more studies are needed to better understand NCWS.
Until more information is available, the best treatment for NCWS is to avoid gluten altogether.
Wheat Allergy
Having a wheat allergy is different from these other conditions in a couple of ways. First, gluten is only one of four proteins in wheat linked to allergic reactions. The others are albumin, globulin, and gliadin. Also, a wheat allergy triggers a response similar to other allergies you might have to pollen or animal dander, including swelling or irritation of the mouth or throat, hives or a skin rash, watery eyes, headache, and anaphylaxis (constricted airways that make breathing difficult).
A wheat allergy can also cause cramps, nausea, and diarrhea. A skin test can often reveal whether you have a wheat allergy. The best treatment is to avoid wheat proteins, which means reading ingredient labels carefully.
Goodbye, Gluten
Following a gluten-free or wheat-free diet can be a challenge. But with restaurants and food manufacturers more aware of how common these conditions are, you may find it easier than you imagined. Gluten-free cookbooks are available, and you can find plenty of gluten-free recipes online.
Before you give up your morning wheat toast, have your symptoms of gluten intolerance or wheat allergy tested by a doctor. You don’t want to needlessly limit your food options, but you definitely want to know if altering your diet can make you feel better.
The post The Difference Between Gluten Intolerance and Celiac Disease appeared first on University Health News.
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