Jump to content

  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Support Our Content
    eNewsletter
    Donate

What Is The Difference?

Maryfrances

By Maryfrances
in Coping with Celiac Disease

Recommended Posts

Maryfrances Rookie
Maryfrances
Posted

I think one of the major issues I am having to try to understand is the difference between gluten allergy and gluten intolerance. I am sure there is a difference! I do NOT have an allergy, but an intolerance. So, that being said, do I REALLY have to keep those minute crumbs of gluten out of my toaster!? Do I REALLY have to buy all new wood items from my kitchen? Do I really have to worry about cross-contamination? *Shrugs*

Yep, I'm a newbie... both to this board and to having Celiac Sprue. I know I have TONS to learn and plan on hitting the bookstore tomorrow.

It would be so nice to have a doctor explain all of this to me... instead of shoving me out the door and being told to "educate yourself". Time to switch docs, I'm thinking. \

Can we discuss the difference? :blink::unsure:

Thanks!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):
Celiac.com Sponsor (A8):

Celiac.com Sponsor (A8-M):


Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

Here is some information regarding allergies vs food intolerances:

https://www.celiac.com/articles/21847/1/Qui...ance/Page1.html

Open Original Shared Link

Why is it important to know if you have celiac disease, versus wheat allergy or gluten intolerance?

Celiac disease, wheat allergy and gluten-intolerance are treated similarly, in that patients with these conditions must remove wheat from their diet. It is important to note, however, that there is a difference between these three medical problems. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition, where the body’s immune system starts attacking normal tissue, such as intestinal tissue, in response to eating gluten. Because of this, people with celiac disease are at risk for malabsorption of food in the GI tract, causing nutritional deficiencies. This can lead to conditions such as iron deficiency anemia and osteoporosis. Since a person with wheat allergy or gluten-intolerance usually does not have severe intestinal damage, he or she is not at risk for these nutritional deficiencies. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition, putting the patient at risk for other autoimmune conditions, such as thyroid disease, type I diabetes, joint diseases and liver diseases. Since wheat allergy and gluten intolerance arenot autoimmune conditions, people who have food allergies and intolerances arenot at increased risk to develop an autoimmune condition over the general population’s risk. And finally, celiac disease involves the activation of a particular type of white blood cell, the T lymphocyte, as well as other parts of the immune system. Because of this, patients with celiac disease are at increased risk to develop GI cancers, in particular lymphomas. Because food allergies and intolerances do not involve this particular immune system pathway, and do not cause severe GI tract damage, these patients are not at increased risk for these cancers.

Thus, while celiac disease, wheat allergy, and gluten-intolerance may be treated with similar diets, they are not the same conditions. It is very important for a person to know which condition they have, as the person with celiac disease needs to monitor himself or herself for nutritional deficiencies, other autoimmune diseases, and GI cancers. In general, the symptoms from food allergies and intolerances resolve when the offending foods are removed from the diet and do not cause permanent organ damage.

Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder that manifests itself in the small intestines. Gluten Ataxia can effect other parts of the body and Dermatitis Herpetaformus can effect the skin.

Gluten intolerance and Celiac are often used interchangeably on this site unfortunately.

Although an intolerance/sensitivity can have a spectrum of levels, the two are quite different. Yet, they are similar in the RX.

If you have been diagnosed with Celiac Disease, you must comply with a zero tolerance diet. It is not the amount of gluten that you consume, but the autoimmune response to the smallest amount of gluten, which will do damage to your body.

It is hard to take it all in in the beginning, that's why is Board is so essential. It's the best information you will find anywhere.

Hope this helps.

Maryfrances Rookie
Maryfrances
Posted
  • Author

Thanks, Lisa!

My diagnosis is Celiac Sprue. Positive biopsy confirmed the dianosis. What my Gastro told me was that I now have an allergy to gluten! I think he's more confused than I am!!

I will be printing this out. Many thanks, again, Lisa!

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted
I think he's more confused than I am!!

I believe you are correct! This is a great place and feel free to ask away! :)

carecare Enthusiast
carecare
Posted

It's articles like this that confuse people. Here they say celiac is an allergy. I know it's not. But when someone does a search on celiac disease and this comes up...well what is one to think. My brother in law has severe psoriasis...and psoratic arthritis. I have been trying to convince him to go gluten free...as well as dairy to see if it helps him. He has the big D often and just thought it was the psoriasis effecting his intestines or something. Well, he was at his dermatologist about a week ago and inquired about it. Asked what he thought and the derm said flat out and sort of angryish...that celiac is not an autoimmune disorder and that my BIL did not have celiac. So BIL comes home believing this guy...ugh. It's people like that and articles like the one I'm posting that make people not know what to believe.

Open Original Shared Link

CC

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted
It's articles like this that confuse people. Here they say celiac is an allergy. I know it's not. But when someone does a search on celiac disease and this comes up...well what is one to think. My brother in law has severe psoriasis...and psoratic arthritis. I have been trying to convince him to go gluten free...as well as dairy to see if it helps him. He has the big D often and just thought it was the psoriasis effecting his intestines or something. Well, he was at his dermatologist about a week ago and inquired about it. Asked what he thought and the derm said flat out and sort of angryish...that celiac is not an autoimmune disorder and that my BIL did not have celiac. So BIL comes home believing this guy...ugh. It's people like that and articles like the one I'm posting that make people not know what to believe.

Open Original Shared Link

CC

That article certainly does add to the confusion.

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):


  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      131,681
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748
    Donna Ybarra
    Newest Member
    Donna Ybarra
    Joined
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):

  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      121.4k
    • Total Posts
      1m
  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):



  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):


  • Upcoming Events

  • Posts

    • Scott Adams
      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      I'd go with a vodka tonic, but that's just me😉
    • Rejoicephd
      Draft gluten-free ciders… can they be trusted ?

      By Rejoicephd · Posted

      That and my nutritionist also said that drinking cider is one of the worst drink choices for me, given that I have candida overgrowth.  She said the combination of the alcohol and sugar would be very likely to worsen my candida problem.  She suggested that if I drink, I go for clear vodka, either neat or with a splash of cranberry.   So in summary, I am giving ciders a rest.  Whether it's a gluten risk or sugars and yeast overgrowth, its just not worth it.
    • Inkie
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Inkie · Posted

      Thank you for the information ill will definitely bring it into practice .
    • Scott Adams
      Tea Bags and Gluten

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      While plain, pure tea leaves (black, green, or white) are naturally gluten-free, the issue often lies not with the tea itself but with other ingredients or processing. Many flavored teas use barley malt or other gluten-containing grains as a flavoring agent, which would be clearly listed on the ingredient label. Cross-contamination is another possibility, either in the facility where the tea is processed or, surprisingly, from the tea bag material itself—some tea bags are sealed with a wheat-based glue. Furthermore, it's important to consider that your reaction could be to other substances in tea, such as high levels of tannins, which can be hard on the stomach, or to natural histamines or other compounds that can cause a non-celiac immune response. The best way to investigate is to carefully read labels for hidden ingredients, try switching to a certified gluten-free tea brand that uses whole leaf or pyramid-style bags, and see if the reaction persists.
    • Scott Adams
      Inconclusive results

      By Scott Adams · Posted

      This is a challenging and confusing situation. The combination of a positive EMA—which is a highly specific marker rarely yielding false positives—alongside strongly elevated TTG on two separate occasions, years apart, is profoundly suggestive of celiac disease, even in the absence of biopsy damage. This pattern strongly aligns with what is known as "potential celiac disease," where the immune system is clearly activated, but intestinal damage has not yet become visible under the microscope. Your concern about the long-term risk of continued gluten consumption is valid, especially given your family's experience with the consequences of delayed diagnosis. Since your daughter is now at an age where her buy-in is essential for a gluten-free lifestyle, obtaining a definitive answer is crucial for her long-term adherence and health. Given that she is asymptomatic yet serologically positive, a third biopsy now, after a proper 12-week challenge, offers the best chance to capture any microscopic damage that may have developed, providing the concrete evidence needed to justify the dietary change. This isn't about wanting her to have celiac; it's about wanting to prevent the insidious damage that can occur while waiting for symptoms to appear, and ultimately giving her the unambiguous "why" she needs to accept and commit to the necessary treatment. This article might be helpful. It breaks down each type of test, and what a positive results means in terms of the probability that you might have celiac disease. One test that always needs to be done is the IgA Levels/Deficiency Test (often called "Total IGA") because some people are naturally IGA deficient, and if this is the case, then certain blood tests for celiac disease might be false-negative, and other types of tests need to be done to make an accurate diagnosis. The article includes the "Mayo Clinic Protocol," which is the best overall protocol for results to be ~98% accurate.    
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

NOTICE: This site places This site places cookies on your device (Cookie settings). on your device. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use, and Privacy Policy.