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Gluten Intolerance is often a very common problem. The only problem is the fact that many people are often times unable to detect the problem until it’s very late. The symptoms of gluten intolerance are often mistaken for the symptoms of other health ailments which is why it is diagnosed at a very later stage.
Much like lactose intolerance where your body shows aversion on the consumption of milk and dairy products, gluten intolerance is the condition in which the body produces an immune reaction in response to the consumption of gluten, a form of protein found in the grains like wheat, rye and barley.
Check Out These Signs You Are Gluten Intolerant.
In this article, we are going to be focusing on the common gluten intolerance symptoms that many tend to mistake for some other health problems.
1. Bloating
Stomach bloating or just bloating, in general, is a condition in which one feels their stomach full, swollen and full of gas right after a meal. This often inflicts a feeling of uneasiness in one’s body. Why many people often tend to not regard bloating (R) as one of the signs of gluten intolerance is because it can be triggered by any kind of digestion related problems.
If studies (R) are to be considered, it is concluded the bloating is one of the, if not the most common gluten intolerance symptoms in adults. Around 87% of adults suffering from non-celiac gluten sensitivity experience bloating after a meal.
2. Abdominal Pain
Abdominal pain is yet another one of the common symptoms of gluten intolerance (R). Even though it can be an indicative symptom for a number of other diseases, it is found to be a crucial one in detecting the possibility of gluten intolerance in an individual.
A study (R) shows that more than 83% of people suffering from gluten intolerance possibly suffer from abdominal pain after the consumption of gluten in your meal.
3. Headaches or Migraine
Migraines or common headaches can be an outcome of several physiological or even psychological reasons. But, if you are someone who doesn’t see any possible or apparent reason behind the onset of these terrifying headaches, there is a possibility that you are experiencing signs of gluten intolerance (R).
Get yourself tested and if the report for other physiological reasons comes out as nil, get a test done for gluten intolerance to source whether or not it is the problem behind those headaches. Migraine headaches take a toll on an individual which is why you should be proactive in sourcing the problem that’s causing it.
4. Diarrhea or Constipation
If you are showcasing signs and symptoms related to diarrhea or constipation, it is normal and can root from eating something inappropriate. But, the moment the same converts into something worse and on a regular basis, it is best to not take it lightly and seek professional help.
People suffering from the celiac disease often experience inflammation in their gut which arrests the proper digestion and absorption of the nutrients and the overall processing of the food. Even if you are not suffering from celiac disease (R) but have gluten intolerance in general, there are chances that you will experience signs and symptoms of diarrhea or constipation either way.
Diarrhea is the more prevalent (R) symptom, 50% of people suffering from it while around 25% of people actually suffer from constipation.
5. Skin Problems
Any form of food intolerance doesn’t just affect the internal health but has prominent effects on the skin as well. Due to the adverse heightened immune response to the gluten sensitivity, the skin experiences signs of blistering and redness, a condition known as dermatitis herpetiformis (R). This is a common side effect of people suffering from celiac disease.
Apart from that, some of the other skin problems that indicate as one of the symptoms of gluten intolerance include psoriasis (R), alopecia areata (R) and chronic urticaria (R).
6. Depression
Depression is a mental health disease that affects around 6% of the world population every single year. Studies and reports claim that people with digestion problems (R) are more likely going to experience such feelings of numbness and hopelessness in comparison to healthy people.
Study shows that people suffering from celiac disease are more likely going to experience signs of depression. The reason behind it is still not concrete. Although, there are some theories which explain the possible relationship between the two.
The two most common reasons behind the same are believed to be the abnormal levels of serotonin (R) along with the changes in the flora in the gut (R).
7. Drastic Weight Loss
Unprecedented weight loss can root from several reasons but it is believed that undiagnosed celiac disease is often times a primary reason behind the unexpected weight loss in an individual.
In a study (R) conducted on patients suffering from celiac disease, it was noticed that they experienced a drastic weight loss through the time frame of six months until their gluten intolerance symptoms were diagnosed.
8. Fatigue and Tiredness
Owing to the fast pacing and stressful life, it is not uncommon to be feeling fatigued and tired throughout the day. The problem arises when the same becomes a persistent occurrence. If you have been constantly complaining about being tired all the time (R), there is definitely an underlying reason behind the same.
Study suggests that people who are gluten intolerant are very prone to experiencing fatigue and tiredness, especially after a meal full of gluten. If you were wondering about the ratio or percentage (R) of people, let me tell you that it ranges from 60-82%.
9. Autoimmune Disorders
One of the common symptoms of gluten intolerance is showcased with the development of other auto-immune system. Celiac dependant gluten sensitivity is an auto-immune disorder (R) which proclaims the immune system to attack the digestive system of the body upon the consumption of gluten.
It has been seen that the presence of celiac disease in an individual paves its way to the formation of other auto-immune disorders like the one associated with the thyroid gland (R).
The symptoms of gluten intolerance in showcasing the rise or development in the autoimmune disease are only attached with the celiac dependant gluten sensitivity and not the non-celiac one.
10. Iron-Deficiency Anemia
Anemia is one of the most common nutrient deficiency diseases that affects a good portion of the world population.
People who suffer from celiac disease are often found to have obstructed absorption (R) of the consumed food which is why the levels of iron absorbed from the food is minimal. This ends up causing an iron deficiency anemia which is one of the signs of gluten intolerance.
If you visit a doctor with concerns of celiac disease or just gluten sensitivity in general, the presence of iron-deficiency anemia (R) is probably the first and the most common gluten intolerance symptoms in adults.
11. Anxiety
Even though there are not much cemented reasons as to what causes anxiety in gluten sensitive people, it has been reported in a number of studies that around 40% of individuals suffering from gluten sensitivity showcase signs and symptoms of anxiety (R) and depression.
Some of the common symptoms relating to these include feeling of restlessness, agitation and uneasiness.
12. Brain Fog
If you are confused with the term, brain fog, let me clear it up a bit for you. Brain Fog (R) is referred to as the condition in which the person struggles with thinking something clearly. People who suffer from this condition often tend to explain that they feel unforgetful and suffer from a stance of mental fatigue.
Even though the exact reason behind the fogginess in the mind is still unknown, it is believed that the same might root from the antibodies in the gluten (R) that one consumes. Around 40% of the patients of gluten sensitivity complain about this being of the gluten intolerance symptoms.
13. Joint and Muscle Ache
Since the consumption of gluten produces auto-immune responses in the body, the first adverse effect is showcased in the form of inflammation (R) in the joints and muscles. This is why one often ends up with joint and muscle aches.
Yet another common reason behind the pain is because of the over-sensitivity of the nervous system which accounts for yet other gluten intolerance symptoms.
14. ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity)
Both children and adults are prone to signs and symptoms relating to Attention deficit hyperactivity, otherwise known as ADHD. This is a condition that is often considered as one of the symptoms of gluten intolerance.
How?
Scientists and researchers have found that they could see a noticeable improvement in one suffering from ADHD when they abstain themselves from the consumption of gluten (R). This in itself is more than enough of an explanation as to why several people suffering from ADHD are probably gluten intolerant too.
15. Osteoporosis
Osteoporosis is a condition that is characterized by the symptoms in which the bones become weak and brittle. It is mainly because of the fact that the bones starts becoming hollow from within, thereby prone to more risks of breaking.
It is believed that since the symptoms of celiac dependant gluten sensitivity is characterized by the lack of absorption of nutrients from the ingested food because of the inflammation in the small intestine. This reflects on the levels of calcium in the body which is what affects the degradation in the condition of the bones.
Food for Thought with Some FAQs
1. Can you develop gluten intolerance later in life?
AYes! Gluten Intolerance is not a disease that is marked specific for a limited age period. It can affect an individual at any age of their life, be it on 20 or even 60. There are even possibilities that you might witness the common symptoms of gluten intolerance in the age of 50 or even 60 or more.
2. Can you gain weight if you are gluten intolerant?
A: Yes, there are chances that you might either gain or drastically lose weight if you are gluten intolerant. The only difference is in the kind of gluten sensitivity that you suffer from. You are more likely going to gain weight if you suffer from non-celiac gluten insensitivity.
3. Can you get tested for gluten intolerance?
A: There are a number of tests that one can undergo to get themselves tested out for gluten sensitivity. Some of the common ones include IgA anti-gliadin antibodies, Total IgA antibodies, Tissue Transglutaminase antibodies, Genetic testing (HLA DQ2 and HLA DQ8) etc.