Will People be Able to Tell if I Have a Gluten Allergy?

Gluten allergies are not uncommon. Many people you pass in the street every day could be suffering from a gluten allergy and you will never even know. The fact is there are no outward signs of gluten allergies. Indeed if there were then it would be much easier to diagnose them.

Will There Be Physical Signs?

While there are no outward signs no a gluten allergy in that there are no physical signs that would make a person think you have a gluten allergy, there are some symptoms and side effects of a gluten allergy that affect the way you look.

One such side effect is weight loss. People with gluten allergies often lose a lot of weight. The body does not hold on to nutrients in the correct way in some cases and therefore the sufferer will experience weight loss. In children the gluten allergy could lead to stunted growth. This means the child may be smaller or less developed than his or her peers.

Another symptom of gluten intolerance that has physical effects is anaemia. Anaemia is a common symptom of gluten allergies. Anaemic people may look tired and pale and could have dark circles under his or her eyes.

However while these signs are physical they are not necessarily or strictly associated with gluten allergies. If you see a person who is underweight you would not automatically assume the person is suffering from a gluten allergy. Similarly if you see a child who is small for his or her age you wouldn’t necessarily think he or she was gluten intolerant. In short there are physical signs associated with gluten allergies but they will not mean people will know what you are suffering from.

Will There Be Mental Signs?

It is possible that your gluten allergy will have affects on your psychological and mental state. One symptom of gluten allergy is depression. The sufferer may feel tired and low and may be weepy without reason. These symptoms are all signs of depression but are not automatically associated with gluten allergies. Indeed many sufferers are not aware that the depressive feelings are linked to a gluten intolerance. People around you may notice this but they will not know it is down to a gluten intolerance.

Another symptom of gluten allergies is fatigue. Sufferers may find themselves constantly tired and exhausted and in need of more sleep that others. While they will no doubt be aware of these symptoms, as will others around them, it is unlikely they will automatically assume gluten intolerance is to blame.

Gluten allergies are not easy to detect without proper tests and since the symptoms of gluten intolerance are very similar to those of various other illnesses the problem often goes undetected for sometime. Therefore it is very unlikely that anyone around you, unless they have had personal experience of gluten intolerance, will be aware of your allergy unless you tell them about it. Note though, it is important that you do tell people so that they can understand what you can and cannot consume and why you may be feeling the way you are.