Almost 1 in 133 Americans have intolerance of gluten. Though the condition is easily fixable by medication and refraining from eating food containing gluten, it takes good 6-8 years to diagnose the condition. Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, rye, barley etc. it gives the dough its elasticity and the final chewy texture. The problem is that it is more problematic than being of value for humans. It has very low nutritional value and can cause a painful problem for people who are allergic to it or can’t process it properly. Here are 10 signs that you are not processing the gluten properly.
The very first sign of having gluten allergy is trouble in the stomach. It has to do more than just an upset tummy, but gluten intolerance makes it very difficult or even impossible to digest food. Gluten in food makes it very hard for people to digest food if they are allergic to it. It can cause bloating, cramps and pain in stomach, diarrhea and constipation in the person.
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People with gluten allergy also tend to get blinding migraines if they eat any food with gluten.56% of people with gluten allergy were found to have suffered from migraines during a research study in University of Maryland Center for Celiac Research. They say that migraines can be treated with 100% gluten free diet.
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One of the biggest upsets of gluten allergy is the mood swings. Thanks to already upset tummy and all over stress caused by the body’s rejection of the gluten, people tend to have bad mood swings which can affect not only their lives but even others. People have reported serious issues such as anxiety, severe irritability and generally feeling upset for almost no reason. It also causes depression, loss of hope, lack of interest in doing anything and many other mental problems creep up just because you are allergic and can’t digest food consisting gluten.
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Gluten allergy can also cause some serious and irritating skin conditions like eczema, acne, psoriasis and dermatitis herpetiformis (DH). Gluten allergy basically causes rashes and boils to form on the top layer of the skin due to inflammation. Also it causes burning, redness and even blisters in some cases when allergy is at its severest. Dermatitis herpetiformis (DH) is described as “a chronic disease of the skin marked by groups of watery, itchy blisters that may resemble pimples or blisters.” It happens when the immune system of body deposits a substance known as IgA or Immunoglobin A on the top layer of skin, whenever a person with gluten allergy ingests gluten with their food. It is the reflex action of the body and if you have DH, you definitely have gluten intolerance.
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Extreme Fatigue is a byproduct of Gluten allergy. This is because the body uses up most of the energy from your food during the process of digestion in order to digest gluten in the food or remove it from the system altogether. It also increases the pressure on digestive system, which spends most of the nutrients on digesting or removing gluten from the system before it damages the body further. All these energy spent in gluten removal, makes you sluggish and slow and contributes to your fatigue and tiredness.
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Also known as chicken skin, this is a troublesome rash like condition that looks like hard goosebumps raised up on the skin. The only difference is that they stay quite a while. Both Keratosis Pilaris and Dermatitis herpetiformis are skin conditions linked to gluten intolerance. The problem is why most people don’t really attribute this condition to gluten is because it is technically harmless and is disregarded as a normal skin rash.
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Sometimes your brain can get foggy making it difficult to be attentive and alert. This can usually happen after eating a meal high in gluten and could be a sign of gluten intolerance. The reason this happens is because your body has to use extra energy to remove the harmful item from its system and this situation tires your brain and makes you feel less energetic.
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While experiencing any or a number of the symptoms mentioned above, if you are suddenly diagnosed with an autoimmune disease, then that could also signify gluten intolerance. Most people who cannot tolerate gluten will at some time or the other invite the risk of autoimmune disease like rheumatoid arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, type 1 diabetes, lupus, celiac disease and others.
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Peripheral neuropathy which causes tingling in the extremities, epilepsy, depression, anxiety and ADHD are all various mental illnesses linked with gluten intolerance. Most gluten intolerant victims will be affected by depression as this condition bears the brunt of gluten side effects. It has also been observed in studies that those without gluten sensitivity can also experience depression after eating high doses of gluten products continuously.
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Inflammation, swelling and joint pains are common symptoms of gluten intolerance as people suffering from Celiac’s disease might know by now. In fact, the symptoms of gluten intolerance and celiac disease are pretty much the same except that gluten sensitivity is considered a less harmful disease. However, the celiac disease itself has also been linked to gluten consumption. There are many afflicted with arthritis that hasn't the faintest idea that their problems may have been caused by gluten intolerance. The only way to prevent the risk of such conditions or reduce them is to avoid gluten products in your diet.
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