There are over 55 diseases associated with gluten, which is a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. 99 percent of the people who have a gluten intolerance or coeliac disease are never diagnosed, which means they spend a lifetime suffering with the symptoms without ever receiving treatment for them. Below are some of the top symptoms of this condition that you should be aware of.
1 – Digestive complications are common with gluten intolerance symptoms, which include gas, diarrhoea and bloating, even constipation. The latter is particularly common in children.
2 – The skin on the back of your arms can sometimes become rough and bumpy – this is known as Keratosis Pilaris. This is a result of a deficiency in fatty acids and vitamin A, which is secondary to fat-malabsorption caused by gluten damaging the gut.
3 – You may become more tired and feel fatigued after eating a meal with gluten in it.
4 – There are various autoimmune diseases which have been connected to gluten intolerances, including Lupus, Psoriasis, Multiple Sclerosis and Rheumatoid arthritis.
5 – You may find you get dizzy often and feel off balance, which can be a sign of neurological complications.
6 – Gluten intolerances can be shown through hormone imbalances, which could lead to conditions such as Poly-Cystic Ovarian Syndrome or PMS.
7 – People who suffer with gluten intolerances often complain of migraine headaches.
8 – Chronic fatigue or fibromyalgia could be a sign that your GP can’t pinpoint the cause of your fatigue or pain, which can be a sign that it is connected to an intolerance.
9 – As with the previously mentioned arthritis, many people suffer with pain or swelling in the joints, hips and knees.
10 – Hormonal problems such as mood disorders and anxiety can be a sign of gluten intolerances.
The sensitivity associated with gluten intolerances can be easy to ignore, but determining what they are when you have several of them can be tricky. Medical tests often fail to pick up on these symptoms, meaning they go unnoticed. But traditional gluten intolerance blood tests looks for just one of the six polypeptides in wheat, known as giladin. There are five others which can be identified which are wheat germ agglutinin, glteomorphin, gltueinin, prodynorphin and omega giladin – any one of these combinations can result in a reaction to gluten and wheat. The symptoms above are commonly associated with this condition, so being aware of them can help you be ahead of the game when it comes to self-diagnosis and seeking treatment. Often these symptoms arise after meals and don’t last for very long, so it can be tricky to spot them.
It may help to keep a food diary though so you can keep track of the symptoms and after which meals you get them. This will help you and your GP determine if you have an intolerance, or whether you have symptoms pertaining to another condition. When keeping the diary, list every aspect of the side effects you feel, even if it seems trivial – it may be something of note when you get tested. Then try going on a gluten free diet for 60 days – if you feel too attached to the gluten in your diet, this could be flagging up the sign of an addiction, as we are often allergic to the things we are addicted to. This diet that’s free of gluten should cut out rye, barley, wheat, kamut, oats and spelt – you can replace them with buckwheat, quinoa and sorghum grains, as well as rice. Be careful with packaged foods as well, as they often use wheat or flour as a thickener for things, so be sure to read the labels of foods that you haven’t prepared from scratch.