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Inhaled/topical Gluten Vs Ingested

taweavmo3

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taweavmo3 Enthusiast
taweavmo3
Posted

My dd is in the midst of one of the worst gluten reactions she's had in the past 5 years, and she didn't even ingest it.

At school, the kids had made dinosaur teeth out of plaster. I did not know that the plaster had flour in it (big duh moment, talk about guilt). So Sunday, I let my dd paint her dinosaur tooth. She scraped the sand off of it, played with it, painted it, etc. Sunday night she started vomiting, and continued to vomit through the night. Today she's running a fever of 104. She has run a fever one other time with a glutening, but it was a big one, and it was within the first year of diagnosis.

This reaction surprised me..she had even washed her hands when she came in. I know there are doctors who say gluten can't be absorbed through the skin. I got to thinking about nailbeds though...those are very vascular, right? Easy way for gluten to go systemic. When my dd ingests gluten, she vomits immediately, leading to less absorption. Anyway, just thought I'd share my observation, b/c it sure surprised us!!

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Ahorsesoul Enthusiast
Ahorsesoul
Posted

At one time doctors thought washing their hands was not necessary. So even doctors can learn what you have just learned with your child.

dilettantesteph Collaborator
dilettantesteph
Posted

I got badly glutened when I threw out my old flour. Some poofed up and I must have inhaled some though I tried my best not to. It can definitely get you that way.

Gemini Experienced
Gemini
Posted

My dd is in the midst of one of the worst gluten reactions she's had in the past 5 years, and she didn't even ingest it.

At school, the kids had made dinosaur teeth out of plaster. I did not know that the plaster had flour in it (big duh moment, talk about guilt). So Sunday, I let my dd paint her dinosaur tooth. She scraped the sand off of it, played with it, painted it, etc. Sunday night she started vomiting, and continued to vomit through the night. Today she's running a fever of 104. She has run a fever one other time with a glutening, but it was a big one, and it was within the first year of diagnosis.

This reaction surprised me..she had even washed her hands when she came in. I know there are doctors who say gluten can't be absorbed through the skin. I got to thinking about nailbeds though...those are very vascular, right? Easy way for gluten to go systemic. When my dd ingests gluten, she vomits immediately, leading to less absorption. Anyway, just thought I'd share my observation, b/c it sure surprised us!!

Gluten absolutely has to be ingested for a reaction to occur. Your daughter ingested some although sometimes it is hard to tell if you have....especially if the product is dusty. If she did all those things you mentioned, then I would bet she got enough into her mouth to cause such a reaction. I have had extreme reactions also and I ingested gluten although at the time, I didn't think I had.

Sorry she got so sick, I have been there and it isn't pretty! :(

Lisa Mentor
Lisa
Posted

I would agree with Gemini. The dust from sanding the plaster could easily have gotten into her nose or mouth. Swallowing the dust could certain trigger a Celiac reaction. I hope she recovers quickly. :)

T.H. Community Regular
T.H.
Posted

I'd agree with gemini as well - the gluten has to interact with the cells inside the intestine for a reaction to occur, and from what I've read, it can't do that even if it could be absorbed through the skin. But inhalation can easily trigger a reaction. I have heard of some celiacs who worked in bakeries who had to quit, because inhaling the flour in the air was enough to gluten them constantly. I've inhaled it myself before and reacted very badly, as well.

I think it depends on how sensitive your DD is, and how much of the dust was in the air, you know?

Although...just to ask...are you sure it's a gluten reaction? With a high fever and vomiting, it could also be something entirely different, like a flu, food poisoning, or even something like a kidney infection. Might be worth checking out, if the symptoms are getting worse or not improving.

My dd is in the midst of one of the worst gluten reactions she's had in the past 5 years, and she didn't even ingest it.

At school, the kids had made dinosaur teeth out of plaster. I did not know that the plaster had flour in it (big duh moment, talk about guilt). So Sunday, I let my dd paint her dinosaur tooth. She scraped the sand off of it, played with it, painted it, etc. Sunday night she started vomiting, and continued to vomit through the night. Today she's running a fever of 104. She has run a fever one other time with a glutening, but it was a big one, and it was within the first year of diagnosis.

This reaction surprised me..she had even washed her hands when she came in. I know there are doctors who say gluten can't be absorbed through the skin. I got to thinking about nailbeds though...those are very vascular, right? Easy way for gluten to go systemic. When my dd ingests gluten, she vomits immediately, leading to less absorption. Anyway, just thought I'd share my observation, b/c it sure surprised us!!

taweavmo3 Enthusiast
taweavmo3
Posted
  • Author

True....it's hard to tell. I thought it was a classic gluten reaction, b/c looking back there was a time after school she got sick and I never found the source. Turns out it was the day they made that darn fossil tooth. I just didn't connect it at the time.

But now I just don't know. She's still running a high fever, and everything's come back negative. It could very well have just been a virus after all, or a virus she picked up after her glutening...who knows, LOL. I guess the silver lining is that we learned to stay away from plaster :rolleyes:

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taszoo Rookie
taszoo
Posted

Gee, your dd must be very allergic to gluten if she has a reaction this bad. i agree though - I reckon she has inhaled some gluten or it has entered via her sinuses. These would be very sensitive to pick up anything and then it would go straight into the digestive system.

I always thought it had to be physically digested so this is very interested.

mommida Enthusiast
mommida
Posted

Please get a flashlight and look down her throat. Give a good sniff around her mouth too.

If you find anything odd, send me a PM.

It is possible for an airborne gluten reaction to be happening that is not classified under Celiac disease.

RiceGuy Collaborator
RiceGuy
Posted

Gluten does not have to be ingested for a reaction to occur. It merely has to get within sight of the immune system. While the classic Celiac tissue damage might supposedly be limited to the small intestine, the antibodies themselves are not formed there. Nor are they formed as a result of a reaction within the intestines. No matter where the immune system detects an invader, antibodies are sent out into the bloodstream to defend the body. The blood reaches every living cell of the body, which is how every living cell is able to live of course. Reactions may occur anyplace where the antibodies meet up with the invader which they are built to destroy. In autoimmunity however, the antibodies unfortunately are able to destroy specific types of bodily cells.

This is why inhalation of gluten can and does cause a reaction, when the amount inhaled is enough for the immune system to detect. Cells in the lungs are living, unlike the outermost layers of skin, along with hair and nails. However, skin does have pours, which is one avenue for certain types of invaders to gain access to living tissue. That's all it takes - contact with living tissue.

https://www.celiac.com/articles/21669/1/The-Gluten-SyndromeGut-Skin-and-Brain/Page1.html

https://www.celiac.com/articles/35/1/Can-products-which-contain-gluten-but-only-touch-the-skin-affect-celiacs/Page1.html

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