Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Dealing With A Wheat Allergy

Foods that contain wheat are everywhere - after all they are a staple in the American diet. But both the protein and the gluten in the wheat are a common allergen. Dealing with a wheat allergy can be frustrating.

If you have a wheat allergy of course the most logical thing is to avoid wheat products to prevent the allergic reaction. This includes cereals, baked goods, chocolate, pancake mixes, waffle mixes, pies, cookies, processed meats, breaded meats, some casseroles, pastas, some salad dressings, soups, alcoholic beverages, and the list could go on and on. Let's face it wheat really is everywhere.

Symptoms of wheat allergy include nausea, vomiting, stomach ache, diarrhea, stomach cramps, skin disorders, eczema, dermatitis, respiratory infections including asthma, hypertension, headache, and even anaphylactic shock. Great you know what the problem is and you are doing your best to avoid wheat but it's in the most unexpected places and you do occasionally mess up.
Besides avoiding wheat there are other things you should do to treat your wheat allergy. There are medications that can help depending on what your symptoms are. Stomach related issues can be dealt with either with OTC or prescription drugs. Immunotherapy can inject small amounts of wheat into your body with the theory that over several years your body will learn to tolerate wheat and the allergy will disappear.

Has anyone noticed that allergies are on the rise? Stats are certainly indicating this. Think back 10 years ago - do you recall the press that wheat allergies were getting. I'm betting you don't and yet today it seems like just about every other person has some type of allergy with wheat and wheat products being right on top. Why is that?

Modern life is hard on our bodies. We are exposed to high levels of toxins and stress which take their toll on our body, on our immune system, and on our adrenal system. Allergies are our body's immune system misfiring and that's exactly what happens with a wheat allergy. So what needs to happen is we need to bring our body back to optimum health.

We can remove wheat from our diet if we have a wheat allergy but the problem is when the body is out of sync the allergy list just keeps growing and growing so a smart choice would be to nourish the body with vitamins, herbs, and supplements.

For example in the case of a wheat allergy adrenal support and immune support are both very important and herbs such as goldenseal, licorice, marshmallow, and Echinacea can help boost the adrenals and the immune system. You should also be sure that your vitamin supplements are giving you the most benefit. For example Vitamin C is a natural antihistamine and will improve adrenal function. Take up to 5000mg daily. Increase in 500mg increments and stop when the bowel is no longer tolerating it. COQ10 is powerful boosting the immune system, reducing histamines, and improving heart health. Take 100mg two times a day. Vitamin B5 helps deal with stress and improve adrenal function. Take up to 1000 mg a day and split into two doses. Dealing with a wheat allergy needs you to go beyond treating symptoms and get to the root of the problem. Only then will you be healthy and feel alive.

by Steve Johnson

Get all the latest information about Allergies from the only true source at http://www.1allergyinformation.com Be sure to check out our Wheat Allergy pages.

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