Bhakti Paun Sharma
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Written By: Bhakti Paun Sharma | Published : September 16, 2015 12:28 PM IST
It is a common notion to associate regular stomach aches and indigestion or other gluten intolerance symptoms to celiac disease or intolerance to all gluten foods. However, that is not true. Gluten sensitivity or intolerance can be of different types which depend on the type of gluten ingredient or food that your body is sensitive too. We discussed the different types of gluten sensitivity that you should be aware of with our expert dietitian and sports nutritionist Deepshikha Agarwal and here s what she says.
This is an advanced form of gluten intolerance. The patient is sensitive to most gluten foods and this can be diagnosed by a series of food intolerance tests. However, in most cases the degree of intolerance varies. People with celiac disease have to be completely off gluten for life is a misconception. The tests can be repeated after every 3-5 months to check variations in the degree of intolerance and a diet with few gluten foods can be prescribed if no intolerance is observed.
Non-celiac disease
While this is quite similar to the celiac disease, where the patient is intolerant to many gluten foods, the difference is that the patient may have no sensitivity to certain foods containing gluten. Often, patients are sensitive to wheat but can consume bread and no symptoms of pain or discomfort are observed. This is mainly due to low levels of intolerance and concentration with other ingredients. Hence going gluten-free for life without a thorough check-up is not advisable.
Wheat allergy
This is another form of gluten intolerance that is very common in India. Wheat intolerance is observed more in children. Do you these foods can cause allergies in children? As the name suggests, patients are sensitive to only wheat in this case. They can continue other gluten products like barley or rye. If the level of intolerance is high, they can consume products that contain traces of wheat. The intolerance might reduce in few months and hence tests can be repeated to check levels.
Gluten Ataxia
A patient might test negative for wheat allergy or celiac disease but might still experience extreme headaches, abdominal pain or cramps, itching and other symptoms after consuming gluten rich foods. These are signs of gluten ataxia. Your doctor may suggest further tests to diagnose it as symptoms often aggravate to difficulty in breathing or mild choking in few cases. However, such cases are very rare.
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