Inhaling Flour

[john m]

I was just diagnosed with celiac about 3 weeks ago. I have been working in a bakery for 17 years. Will inhaling all flour that floats around that place be harmful to my healing and could that have played a part in me getting it? Ive asked my dr but he said there hasnt been much research on that yet. he basically said eat gluten free... Thanks, john

[rosetapper23]

I know of another person who also worked in a bakery for many years and who developed celiac disease (of course, it's unknown if the exposure caused it). He is so super-sensitive to gluten, he has to wear a mask just to go outside because of the possibility of flour wafting from restaurants and bakeries. Currently, his life is pretty Hellish, and he's trying to find a way to heal. He still has Dermatitis Herpetiformis all over his scalp and can't seem to be rid of it. He also wonders whether working in a bakery may have caused his super-sensitivity to gluten.

[kenlove]

I teach a class on fruit and product/recipe development at University of Hawaii culinary college and now, after getting celiac, have to wait a day after the bread class before I can teach. Had a lot of trouble from inhaling flour -- more than from accidental ingesting of gluten. I wish you luck.

  On 8/9/2011 at 3:30 AM, john m said:

I was just diagnosed with celiac about 3 weeks ago. I have been working in a bakery for 17 years. Will inhaling all flour that floats around that place be harmful to my healing and could that have played a part in me getting it? Ive asked my dr but he said there hasnt been much research on that yet. he basically said eat gluten free... Thanks, john

[T.H.]

Doc was right on the lack of research, but there's a lot of celiacs who have reported problems with inhaled gluten in areas where there is a high concentration in the air, like next to people baking with gluten flour.

I would very seriously consider a mask, at the very least. You can check with an allergist - there are certain masks that can be worn for people with severe allergies, and these filter the air coming in through the breather. They look a bit like a gas mask, though, I understand, so they're a bit extreme.

But it's probably better than getting a new job, if it gets too bad.

Re: if inhaled gluten caused celiac disease, just a personal opinion, but I doubt it. You are probably ingesting more gluten on a daily basis than you are inhaling, so if gluten in your system was going to trigger it, I'd bet on the actual food first, inhaled gluten second, you know?

[lovegrov]

While I have always has a hard time believing that walking down a bread aisle can cause a celiac-type reaction, an allergic reaction, if that's what you have, is a different beast. And any place with lots of flour in the air and on surfaces is bad for anybody with celiac or a wheat allergy. I would not want to work in a bakery.

richard

[Diane-in-FL]

I know that I feel much better since retiring from my job. I worked for a Meals for the Elderly program. Our cook baked bread and rolls, cakes, etc. Good for them, not so good for me, I guess, as there was always flour everywhere. She is a messy cook and I had to be in the kitchen too, so I was exposed to it, even though I didn't eat the food.

[Jenniferxgfx]

I can't breathe in flour without a celiac reaction. I also can't touch the stuff without getting glutened, and I get blisters, too. I don't think your job caused it, but it definitely won't help it. are masks and gloves an option?

[john m]

  On 8/10/2011 at 4:54 AM, Jenniferxgfx said:

I can't breathe in flour without a celiac reaction. I also can't touch the stuff without getting glutened, and I get blisters, too. I don't think your job caused it, but it definitely won't help it. are masks and gloves an option?

I bought some masks at cvs but they dont seem to work that well... i also wear gloves when possible... what lead to my diagnosis is my hands were hurting and getting swollen so after a bunch tests they said it was celiac but i am still wondering if touching the flour is causing the pain and swelling... since going gluten free about 3 weeks ago i have noticed the pain has gone away but the swelling remains...

[john m]

Thanks for all responses

[jbunds]

wow! that is crazy! i work at a brewery, and although i am not exposed to the malt and the barely since i work in the store up front, but i fill up growlers at work and get beer on my hands. i dont have any reaction to it, i get really dry skin maybe, do you think that it is possible that it could eventually hurt me?

[oceangirl]

I know I get glutened by high concentrations of flour in the air. I think it ends up in my gut as well as lungs because of (sorry) postnasal drip meaning whatever I breathe in also finds its way down my throat at times!

That is tough if you need to consider a new job, but... whenever a door closes?...

good health to you,

lisa