airborn gluten?

[Penny80]

Hi! I’m not even sure if this is the right place to ask this...but I’ve been feeling really unwell lately - like I’ve got the flu really and very tired, stomach not quite right and like I’ve a head cold - and I’ve just found out that next to where is work is the huge factory where they manufacture all the MacDonalds hamburger buns. You can smell them as soon as you leave the office. I don’t know if there’s flour in the air? I can’t tell. But it’s an overwhelming smell which makes me think that particles could be everywhere. Could this possibly be making me unwell?

[Ennis-TX]

4 hours ago, Penny80 said:

Hi! I’m not even sure if this is the right place to ask this...but I’ve been feeling really unwell lately - like I’ve got the flu really and very tired, stomach not quite right and like I’ve a head cold - and I’ve just found out that next to where is work is the huge factory where they manufacture all the MacDonalds hamburger buns. You can smell them as soon as you leave the office. I don’t know if there’s flour in the air? I can’t tell. But it’s an overwhelming smell which makes me think that particles could be everywhere. Could this possibly be making me unwell?

Airborne gluten is a concern in that we can get it stuck in our mucus in the nose and throat then swallow it. There is also the concern of it getting on food or food prep surfaces. It can reach the small intestine this way and trigger a flare if you have celiac, which I am assuming you already have been diagnosed with? They make pollution mask that you can get if you want to see if you feel better wearing it.

I myself have gotten minor symptoms from a open air bakery but this is them quite literally throwing around balls of dough coated in flour and you can see it going airborne. I also have allergic reactions driving my a corn field when they are harvesting the dried feed corn or someone running a popcorn machine, but I am allergic to corn. I think there was a instance of someone having to move due to a processing plant for something next to their home? I think someone else might link it.

[cyclinglady]

It is possible:

https://www.9news.com/article/news/local/features/girl-pens-book-about-her-battle-with-celiac-disease/73-576605565

But it is also possible that you have something else.  See your doctor and get a repeat celiac blood panel.  That is a good place to start.