Gluten intolerance is when you get sick after eating gluten. You might feel bloated, gassy, nauseous or tired Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and other grains. It’s in a lot of common foods and drinks, including pasta, cereal and beer. Gluten can also be in things like vitamins, cosmetics and even certain medications
Gluten intolerance and celiac disease are different.. People with celiac disease have an autoimmune response to gluten. This means their bodies try to fight against gluten as if it were a virus. This reaction causes inflammation and damage to their digestive tracts. Celiac disease is the result of an abnormal gene.
Gluten sensitivity and celiac disease cause a lot of the same symptoms. But people with gluten sensitivity don’t have an abnormal gene or antibodies in their blood. Some people are born with a gluten intolerance; others develop it later in life.
An intolerance and a food allergy aren’t the same. A food allergy, such as a wheat allergy, is when your immune system overreacts after you eat a certain food. An allergy might cause itching, vomiting or shortness of breath. Gluten intolerance isn’t an allergy to gluten.
People with gluten intolerance may experience the following symptoms for several hours or days after they consume gluten:
- Abdominal pain
- Anemia
- Anxiety
- Bloating or gas
- Brain fog, or trouble concentrating.
- Depression
- Diarrhea or constipation
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Joint pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Skin rash.
How is gluten intolerance diagnosed?
Your healthcare provider carefully reviews your symptoms and medical history. If they suspect you have a gluten intolerance, these are the next steps to confirm the diagnosis:
- Step 1: You eat a diet containing gluten for about six weeks. During this time, your healthcare provider performs blood tests and skin tests to rule out a wheat allergy or celiac disease. There isn’t a gluten intolerance test.
- Step 2: If you don’t have a wheat allergy or celiac disease, your healthcare provider will ask you to exclude gluten from your diet for at least six weeks. Keep a thorough record of your symptoms during this time, noting which (if any) symptoms improve.
- Step 3: If your symptoms do improve while you’re on a gluten-free diet, you gradually reintroduce gluten back into your diet. If symptoms return, you likely have a gluten intolerance.
How is gluten intolerance managed?
There’s no cure for gluten intolerance. But most people find relief from symptoms by following a gluten-free diet. It can be managed by:
- Eating a low-fat, high-fiber diet.
- Getting regular lab tests to check for:
- Anemia.
- High cholesterol.
- Vitamin and nutritional deficiencies.
- Learning which foods, drinks and ingredients contain gluten so you can avoid them.
- Reading food and beverage labels carefully.
Simona Sapundzija, MD
