If you suffer chronic chest congestion, it’s possible that a food allergy such as to gluten is to blame. However, many other issues can lead to congestion, including chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma, so visit your doctor for proper diagnosis. If your problem is caused by a food allergy, you need to alter your diet by eliminating the allergen.
Understanding Reactions
When you suffer an allergy to wheat, your body is reacting to the proteins wheat contains; gluten is the main protein in wheat. The first time you’re exposed to the offending allergen, your immune system creates immunoglobulin E, or IgE, antibodies to it. These circulate via your blood and attach to mast cells and basophils. Mast cells are found in your lungs as well as your nose, throat, skin and gastrointestinal tract. Basophils are in your tissues and your blood. When you are again exposed to the allergen, it binds to the IgE antibodies attached to your basophils and mast cells. This signals your cells to release chemicals like histamine. They cause various allergy symptoms, depending on the tissues from which these chemicals are released.
Symptoms
Symptoms of a wheat or gluten allergy can range from mild to severe. Chest or nasal congestion are possible. Other possible symptoms include hives, tingling or itching in your mouth, eczema, wheezing or trouble breathing, dizziness, gastrointestinal problems like nausea or diarrhea, and swelling in your lips, face, mouth or throat. A severe reaction can lead to a potentially life-threatening condition called anaphylaxis, which can cause tight airways, rapid pulse, shock with a large drop in blood pressure, a swollen throat that makes it hard to breathe and possible loss of consciousness. You need emergency treatment if you suffer anaphylaxis.
Time Frame and Asthma Connection
If you are suffering an allergic reaction to gluten, you are likely to experience your symptoms such as chest congestion within minutes to several hours following exposure to it. Your body’s process of digesting food and the mast cell location affect where and when the reaction occurs. Asthma -- which is characterized by chest congestion, wheezing and shortness of breath -- is common in people who have food allergies, according to the book “Inflammation and Allergy Drug Design.” Gluten is sometimes a trigger for asthma symptoms, according to Vikki Petersen and Richard Petersen, authors of “The Gluten Effect.”
Treatment and Considerations
A wheat allergy and celiac disease, in which your immune system responds to gluten by damaging your small intestine, are different. However, the treatment for both conditions is the same: You must avoid the offending allergen, according to Columbia University Health Services. With celiac disease, you don’t lose your sensitivity to gluten so you must avoid wheat and other grains like barley and rye that contain gluten for the rest of your life. If you have a wheat allergy as a child, you may outgrow it. And if you have a wheat allergy, you just need to avoid wheat and grains related to wheat such as kamut and spelt, according to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network. If you have a food allergy, consult your doctor regarding which foods you need to eliminate from your diet to avoid symptoms.
References
- Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network; Wheat Allergy; May 2011
- “The UltraMind Solution”; Mark Hyman; 2008
- MayoClinic; Food Allergy Symptoms; February 2011
- National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Food Allergy; November 2010
- U.S. Department of Agriculture; Scientists on a Roll with Wheat Protein Studies; December 2004
- “Inflammation and Allergy Drug Design”; K. Izuhara, et al.; 2011
- “The Gluten Effect”; Vikki Petersen and Richard Petersen; 2009
- GoAskAlice; Gluten Allergy – Celiac Disease or Something Else?; October 2008
