Severe allergy to wheat

Symptoms can develop within the first half hour, but can also become noticeable after up to six hours. It is irrelevant how large the quantities of wheat consumed were. It is more important when the wheat components - the main allergen is omega-5 gliadin - enter the bloodstream. This depends, among other things, on the composition of the meal.

Anaphylactic shock is a potentially life-threatening event. Therefore, if you suspect it, you must always call an ambulance. Because you don’t know how initial symptoms will develop, patients must always carry an emergency kit with them containing antihistamine drops, a glucocorticoid solution and an adrenaline auto-injector. Until the emergency doctor arrives, they can give themselves first aid or receive it from others if they are conscious enough to swallow without difficulty.

No, fortunately not. With the right behaviour, the risk can be reduced to almost zero. Those affected can either completely avoid wheat products or maintain fixed time intervals between wheat consumption and exercise. According to experts, this should be four to six hours apart. However, no exercise should actually »intervene« during this period. This is because even a sprint to the train can be enough to trigger anaphylactic symptoms. To be on the safe side, sufferers should exercise in the morning before breakfast. Completely giving up wheat permanently could be counterproductive, according to scientific findings. Eating a little of it every now and then seems to be a good way of increasing tolerance to the allergen again. Patients are best advised to discuss the exact procedure with their doctor.

As a rule, these types of grain are tolerated, but rye can also trigger symptoms because a cross-reaction with wheat is possible. As a precaution, doctors test whether this is the case in each individual case. Anything that contains neither wheat nor rye, i.e. products made from oats, maize, rice, millet, buckwheat, quinoa, amaranth or pulses, is a good alternative for people with WDEIA.