Gluten reaction symptoms vary but often involve digestive issues (bloating, gas, diarrhea, constipation, pain), fatigue, headaches, and skin problems (rashes, eczema). Neurological signs like brain fog, numbness, or joint pain can occur, along with mood changes (anxiety, depression) or allergy symptoms (sneezing, runny nose). Reactions can signal gluten intolerance (non-celiac gluten sensitivity), celiac disease (autoimmune), or a wheat allergy, impacting energy, focus, and nutrient absorption.
Here are some of the symptoms of gluten sensitivity:
Much like brain fog, people with a gluten sensitivity may also experience bouts of dizziness or light-headness. If your child feels dizzy or lightheaded, talk to your pediatrician about the symptoms to determine the cause.
Common reactions include abdominal pain, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, and gas. Although it's not common, vomiting can occur, especially if you've ingested a large amount of gluten, like a slice of pizza or a doughnut, rather than just a few crumbs.
When you get glutened, you may experience nausea, diarrhea, and stomach pain, just to name a few of the symptoms. There is no way to “flush” gluten out of your system quickly to lessen the discomfort.
Despite awareness efforts, celiac disease is often confused with other gluten-related disorders — like non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) or a wheat allergy. Both seem similar to celiac disease, but are different conditions.
If you're extremely sensitive to even trace amounts of gluten, you may experience symptoms within minutes of ingestion – similar to an allergy. In many cases, however, symptoms don't develop until one to twelve hours after exposure. For some, symptoms take days or even weeks to manifest.
Blood Tests
Your doctor tests your blood to look for unusually high levels of these antibodies. The blood test is not reliable unless you have been regularly eating gluten. If you have been on a gluten-free diet, the doctor may recommend eating foods containing gluten for two to four weeks before the blood test.
Many doctors caution against gluten-free diets (GFDs) for those without a medical need (like celiac disease) because GFDs can lead to nutritional deficiencies (fiber, B vitamins, iron, zinc) due to reliance on processed substitutes, increased intake of unhealthy fats/sugars, potential weight gain, higher costs, and missing out on whole grains' benefits, with many "gluten-free" products lacking true nutritional value and some perceived benefits stemming from cutting out FODMAPs or the "nocebo effect".
It can develop at any age. People with certain conditions, including type 1 diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease, Down's syndrome and Turner syndrome, have an increased risk of getting coeliac disease.
The “Hidden” Gluten List
Common signs of celiac disease include: Constant (chronic) diarrhea or constipation. Weight loss. Gas.
People with celiac disease are genetically predisposed to gluten intolerance, and even ingesting a very small amount can lead to severe damage of the small intestine. The disease can develop at any age and, if left untreated, can lead to serious health problems.
How fast can you expect symptoms to improve on a gluten-free diet? On average, people report feeling better after eating a gluten-free diet for 1 month. But this can vary from person to person. Some people feel better faster, while others need more than 1 month to see improvement.
If you have coeliac disease, you'll no longer be able to eat foods that contain any barley, rye or wheat, including farina, semolina, durum, bulgar, cous cous and spelt. Even if you only eat a small amount of gluten, such as a spoonful of pasta, you may have very unpleasant intestinal symptoms.
People may experience the following symptoms for several hours or days after they consume gluten:
Home testing kits for coeliac disease are now available over the counter and online. If you do use a home testing kit it is important that whatever the outcome you discuss your symptoms with your GP.
Stay away from einkorn, emmer, spelt, kamut, wheat starch, wheat bran, wheat germ, cracked wheat, and hydrolyzed wheat protein. Steer clear of emulsifiers, dextrin, mono- and di-glycerides, seasonings, and caramel colors. These all can contain gluten. Check the labels of all foods.
Most patients predicted that their worst symptoms when exposed to gluten would be classic lower digestive problems like diarrhea, bloating and cramps.
Yes, all rice (in its natural form) is gluten-free. Rice is one of the most popular gluten-free grains for people with celiac disease. Many gluten-free packaged goods are made with rice flour instead of wheat flour.
Key sources of gluten include wheat (including varieties like spelt, kamut, farro, and durum), barley, rye, and triticale. This means that many common foods such as bread, pasta, cereals, baked goods, and beer must be avoided unless labeled gluten-free.
Here are the six foods that your body can confuse with gluten because of their similar protein structure:
The complex of symptoms associated with these diseases, such as diarrhea, constipation or abdominal pain may overlap for the gluten related diseases, and furthermore they can be similar to those caused by various other intestinal diseases, such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
Sometimes celiac disease becomes active after surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, viral infection or severe emotional stress. When the body's immune system overreacts to gluten in food, the reaction damages the tiny, hairlike projections, called villi, that line the small intestine.