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Wheat Allergy Test



 Submitted by Medical Health Test Team on June 1, 2010
Test For Wheat Allergy

An allergy is the excessive reaction of a person’s body to the introduction of a substance, known as an allergen. This introduction may occur through contact of the skin or through ingestion of the allergen while breathing or through eating and drinking. An allergic reaction may occur in a mild, serious or life threatening form. Some allergies produce skin based reactions with may include rashes and itching. Other allergies, especially allergies involving allergen consumption through the mouth might cause reactions within the mouth and throat that can be dangerous. These reactions include swelling up of the mouth, the cheeks and the tongue. The effects might also include a swelling of the throat which could lead to a blockage of the breathing passage making the situation an emergency. People with allergies that can cause such a reaction should carry emergency anti-allergy medication with them in order to prevent any such symptoms from occurring, and if they do occur, reduce their effects.

A wheat allergy is a type of food allergy where the person is allergic to some particular protein present in wheat and wheat based products. It is a result of the over active nature of the immunoglobulin-E cells which result in the reaction. Wheat allergies can cause anaphylaxis and should be considered to be serious. As with most food based allergies, a complete avoidance of the food group will prevent the allergy from occurring. The test for wheat allergy is also similar to the test for most other types of allergic conditions. There are two approaches for how to test wheat allergy.

The first approach is the skin prick test, where a small amount of the suspected allergen is injected into the layer just below the skin surface. A reaction usually occurs if the person is allergic and this is visible within a few minutes of the test. Some allergies react within seconds while some can take a considerably longer time to show up. This test is considered to be dangerous as it might lead to a violent allergic reaction in the patient if the allergy is particularly severe. The other method of testing is by drawing a blood sample and applying the RAST test where the sample is tested for individual antibodies that correspond to particular allergies. While the RAST test takes longer than a skin test, it accurate and a single sample can be used for multiple tests. In a skin prick test however, each different allergen requires a fresh skin prick to be made which can be annoying as well as uncomfortable, particularly in an allergy positive patient.
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