Wheat allergy vs coeliac disease.

If you have wheat allergy, exposure to a wheat protein primes your immune system for an allergic reaction.

Some people with wheat allergy develop symptoms only if they exercise within a few hours of eating wheat. Exercise-induced changes in your body either trigger an allergic reaction or worsen an immune system response to a wheat protein. This condition, called wheat-dependent exercise-induced anaphylaxis (WDEIA), usually results in life-threatening anaphylaxis.

Another variant is related to so-called baker’s asthma, a serious occupational obstructive airway disease that affects between 4% and 25% of bakery workers worldwide. Wheat flour is the primary cereal used in bakery products and wheat flour allergy is the leading cause of baker’s asthma. 

Certain factors can lead to a greater risk of developing wheat allergy:

Family history. A person is at increased risk of allergy to wheat or other foods if their parents have food allergies or other allergies, such as asthma.

Age. Wheat allergy is most common in babies and toddlers, who have immature immune and digestive systems. But adults can also develop a wheat allergy.