Wheat allergy ( skin test)

[lilo]

 Did anyone here got a diagnosis for wheat allergy through skin test ? How did you do it ? 

[trents]

Before I say anything else I just want to make sure you realize that Celiac Disease is not an allergy. Neither is gluten intolerance and allergy. I could not be sure from your question whether or not you understood this.

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder. People who have it get an autoimmune reaction that does damage to the lining of the small bowel when they consume wheat, barley or rye. Autoimmune disorders are where the body attacks its own tissues and is different than an allergy. With allergies the body reacts to a foreign substance as an invader and begins to attack the foreign substance but not the body's own tissues. In the case of allergies this attack of the invader may cause inflammation such as nasal discharge and congestion and swelling of the tissues that lining of the airway (which can be life-threatening) but it is a byproduct of the effort to rid the body of the invader or neutralize it. The autoimmune reaction of Celiac disease is a very different immune system process than is an allergic reaction.

Gluten intolerance is neither an allergy or an autoimmune response. It is very similar to lactose intolerance in that both are caused by the lack of specific enzymes in the digestive track needed to break down substances in food. These undigested substances upset the microbiology of the bowel causing gas and diarrhea but do not attack the tissues of the intestines themselves.

As I recall, my skin prick allergy testing and my blood analysis allergy testing (or one of them at least) showed I had a mild allergy to wheat but none to gluten per se. Yet, by way of intestinal biopsy I am a confirmed Celiac. Since gluten is found in wheat that really shed light for me on the fact that Celicac disease is something different than an allergy to wheat. My whole point is that skin prick testing is useless for diagnosing Celiac disease or gluten intolerance. So testing positive for allergies to wheat or even gluten says nothing about whether or not you have Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance. 

And in fact, there is great deal of skepticism in the medical community as to whether allergy testing of any kind (as it is presently practiced) has much value. The correlation between tests results and real symptoms experienced by exposure to the substances you test positive for is often very poor. And this is confirmed in my own personal experience.

[lilo]

2 hours ago, trents said:

Before I say anything else I just want to make sure you realize that Celiac Disease is not an allergy. Neither is gluten intolerance and allergy. I could not be sure from your question whether or not you understood this.

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder. People who have it get an autoimmune reaction that does damage to the lining of the small bowel when they consume wheat, barley or rye. Autoimmune disorders are where the body attacks its own tissues and is different than an allergy. With allergies the body reacts to a foreign substance as an invader and begins to attack the foreign substance but not the body's own tissues. In the case of allergies this attack of the invader may cause inflammation such as nasal discharge and congestion and swelling of the tissues that lining of the airway (which can be life-threatening) but it is a byproduct of the effort to rid the body of the invader or neutralize it. The autoimmune reaction of Celiac disease is a very different immune system process than is an allergic reaction.

Gluten intolerance is neither an allergy or an autoimmune response. It is very similar to lactose intolerance in that both are caused by the lack of specific enzymes in the digestive track needed to break down substances in food. These undigested substances upset the microbiology of the bowel causing gas and diarrhea but do not attack the tissues of the intestines themselves.

As I recall, my skin prick allergy testing and my blood analysis allergy testing (or one of them at least) showed I had a mild allergy to wheat but none to gluten per se. Yet, by way of intestinal biopsy I am a confirmed Celiac. Since gluten is found in wheat that really shed light for me on the fact that Celicac disease is something different than an allergy to wheat. My whole point is that skin prick testing is useless for diagnosing Celiac disease or gluten intolerance. So testing positive for allergies to wheat or even gluten says nothing about whether or not you have Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance. 

And in fact, there is great deal of skepticism in the medical community as to whether allergy testing of any kind (as it is presently practiced) has much value. The correlation between tests results and real symptoms experienced by exposure to the substances you test positive for is often very poor. And this is confirmed in my own personal experience.

 I know that celiac disease is not an allergy. I just wanted to test if i also have wheat allergy too.Thank you for your reply.

[tessa25]

To test for an allergy you go to the allergist, and they prick the skin with allergens you select to be tested from the list. They write numbers on your arms or back then prick you with each allergen. They also prick you with histamine and a control. A raised bump after 10 or 15 minutes signifies an allergic reaction. The histamine getting a bump and the control not getting a bump validates the test.

 

[cyclinglady]

Just for educational purposes, celiac disease and allergies fall under the umbrella of hypersensitivity.  Wikipedia explains it well for this application.

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You can have several types of hypersensitivities concurrently.   You can get tested for IgE allergies, but it is not always accurate.  What make you think you have a wheat allergy in addition to celiac disease?  Hives, swelling, blood pressure drops, breathing difficulties, itchiness, vomiting, abdominal pain, losing consciousness?  

If you do get tested, please share!  I find this fascinating!