“Gluten allergy” is not a real medical term.
While these five conditions share some similarities, their overall symptom profiles are marked by several key differences.
With the exception of wheat allergy, none of them are true allergies.
Tim Liedtke / Verywell
Contrary to popular belief, wheat allergy and gluten allergy are not the same thing, either.
Eventually, the inflamed villi can flatten and even disappear.
Malabsorption is associated with numerous complications, including osteoporosis and fractures resulting from brittle, nutrient-deficient bones.
Villous atrophy is also linked to an increased risk of lymphoproliferative disorders, such as lymphoma and leukemia.
Celiac disease affects about one in every 133 Americans.
There are many differentsymptoms potentially sparked by celiac disease.
Every case is different.
And other people mainly experience neurological symptoms, such as migraines and tingling in their arms and legs.
Can Celiac Disease Develop Suddenly?
In many cases, people with celiac disease are able to digest gluten for years before suddenly developing symptoms.
Celiac disease is best known for causing gastrointestinal symptoms.
Wheat Allergy
People who have a true allergy to wheat sometimes also experience gastrointestinal symptoms and rashes.
However, wheat allergy symptoms are often more “typical” allergy symptoms, such as a runny nose.
Anaphylaxis is a medical emergency, so if you experience these symptoms, call 911 immediately.
Dermatitis Herpetiformis
It’s not unusual for a true allergic reaction to result in a skin rash.
But a dermatitis herpetiformis rash is not the result of a true allergy.
Also, most people who have dermatitis herpetiformis have celiac disease as well.
What Is the Difference Between Autoimmunity and Allergy?
An allergy triggers when the immune system overreacts to an allergen and attempts to expel it from the body.
Autoimmunity comes up whenever the immune system creates antibodies that mistakenly attack the body’s own tissues or organs.
How to Tell the Difference
It’s clear you might’t tell from symptoms alone.
If you have gastrointestinal symptoms that may point toceliac disease, you’ll likely start withceliac blood tests.
They can help you determine what medical testing, if any, you may need.
Some of these conditions, like celiac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis, are closely related.
But only one of themwheat allergyis a true allergy.
Although wheat contains gluten, you could have a wheat allergy without any clinical gluten sensitivity.
If you experience unusual symptoms after consuming gluten, contact your healthcare provider for a diagnosis.
You may need special testing to determine the underlying cause.
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Yale Medicine.Dermatitis herpetiformis.
Antiga E, Maglie R, Quintarelli L, et al.Dermatitis herpetiformis: novel perspectives.Front Immunol.
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