Gluten Intolerance – Diagnosis and Treatment
Gluten is a protein found commonly in foods with wheat, barley, and rye as an ingredient. As a result, a gluten-intolerant person may face pain or bloat and swell in their stomach, which is common in the case of gluten sensitivity.
Gluten intolerance can cause similar symptoms as celiac disease, but they have very different long-term effects. The symptoms of gluten intolerance are also almost the same as those of a wheat allergy or internal issues like irritable bowel syndrome. According to a few types of research, 10 to 15 percent of the US population face IBS symptoms.
Symptoms of gluten intolerance
Symptoms of gluten intolerance include bloating, swelling, stomach ache, nausea, body ache, diarrhoea, anxiety, and sometimes skin rashes. All these symptoms often occur in people who have consumed gluten and are sensitive to it. People with gluten allergy also face irritable bowel syndrome.
Diagnosing gluten intolerance
You should consult your physician if you see any of the symptoms mentioned above. They can take the diagnosis process by examining the symptoms and previous medical history. If there’s a chance you’re gluten intolerant, they’ll take a few steps to verify their diagnosis.
- You might have to take a diet with gluten for six weeks, and throughout that time, your doctor might perform blood tests and skin tests to determine if there’s a possibility of a wheat allergy or celiac disease. This six-week process is a good option to choose, although there is a specific gluten intolerance test which you can order as well.
- If you’re not suffering from a wheat allergy or celiac disease, your doctor might shift you to a gluten-free diet for about six weeks and ask you to maintain a record of your symptoms improving.
- Once you’re relieved of these symptoms, you will be asked to start eating foods with gluten again. to gluten, and if these symptoms occur again, you are likely to be gluten intolerant.
Treatment of Gluten intolerance
There’s no way that you can prevent gluten intolerance completely. So instead, visit your doctor, who can guide you toward the best treatment method.
Since there is no specified treatment for gluten intolerance, you might have to shift to a gluten-free diet to improve your symptoms. Please consult your physician and dietician, who can better guide you in planning a gluten-free diet.
Your healthcare provider might also advise you to add probiotics to your daily diet, which may increase bacteria in your system and reduce symptoms like bloating and stomach pain.
Some research provides you with a suggestion of taking specific enzymes which help in better digestion of gluten. However, please don’t take any enzymes without consulting your physician.
Conclusion
Gluten intolerance can cause many symptoms similar to other conditions. Therefore, it’s best to visit your healthcare provider, who can verify the diagnosis and offer you a plan to follow. For example, you might be asked to shift to a gluten-free diet wholly or advised to take gluten in moderation.
It is highly suggested that you keep up with the diagnosis step to better understand the severity of your symptoms.