Increasingly more people are being diagnosed with celiac disease, a condition in which the immune system attacks the small intestines when foods containing gluten are ingested. In essence, having celiac disease means that you have a gluten allergy. It is estimated that 1 in 133 Americans have a gluten allergy. If you think you might be one of them, there are a number of tests that a doctor can conduct to determine if you have a gluten allergy.

Should You Have a Gluten Allergy Test?

There are over 100 symptoms that may indicate you have a gluten allergy. This makes it a very difficult disease to diagnose. If you have some of the most frequent symptoms listed here, definitely ask you doctor for allergy testing.

• Fatigue

• Diarrhea and/or Constipation

• Brain Fog

• Abdominal Pain

• Itchy Rash

• Anxiety or Depression

• Bloating

• Unexplained Infertility

• Migraine Headaches

• Attention Deficit

• Inflammation or Joint Pain

• Keratosis Pilaris on the Back of the Arms

• Intractable Dandruff

Gluten Allergy Tests

If you have some of the symptoms listed above, do not stop eating gluten yet. The next step is to request allergy testing from your doctor and in order to diagnose whether you have an allergy, you will need to have some gluten in your system. There are five different types of gluten allergies. Many of the symptoms are similar, but you will not be able to tell the difference, or whether you have the disease at all, without allergy testing. Alaska Natural Health Solutions is one place where you can receive comprehensive allergy testing. 

Intestinal Biopsy

This invasive test is considered the "gold standard" for diagnosing celiac disease. In this procedure, a camera is placed in the intestinal tract to determine if there is damage to the villi of the small intestines. Also, a sample of the small intestine is taken and sent in for testing. Although this is the most trusted test, it will not prove positive for everyone who has a gluten allergy.

Blood Tests

A range of blood tests can also be conducted to test for gluten allergies. These tests measure the levels of gluten antibodies that are present in the blood. The results of the test are not always reliable, however, since there are multiple forms of antibodies that can respond to gluten but the test only determines if one or two types are present. This can result in a gluten problem being overlooked. To help account for this error, these tests will often be paired with a full blood count that tests for other possible diseases including anemia, renal function, and liver enzymes.

Gluten Cross-Reactivity

If you have a gluten allergy, your body produces antibodies against gluten. These antibodies can also react with other foods that have similar proteins as gluten, including rice, corn, soy, quinoa, and buckwheat. A cross-reactive test can determine if a reaction occurs when these other foods are ingested.

Additional Compound Tests

The presence of the following molecules may also indicate a gluten allergy. These molecules are tested for less often but doctors are beginning to realize the usefulness of testing for these compounds, especially since the current tests can be unreliable. You may need to specifically request these tests from your doctor.

• Deamidated Gliadin – a form of gluten that is often intolerable in people with gluten allergies.

• Glutenin – an often over-looked component of gluten that can also cause an immune response.

• Gluteomorphins – compounds that make gluten a bit addictive.

• Prodynorphin – a compound necessary for the production of endorphins that is often reduced in someone with gluten sensitivity.

• Wheat Germ Agglutinin – a component of wheat that can cause an immune response in the body leading to inflammation. It also binds to certain nutrients, making them unusable in the body.

If you are suffering from symptoms of celiac disease, conducting allergy testing could be the first step to changing your life and improving your health. Keep in mind, however, that an array of tests may need to be conducted because there are different types of gluten allergies. If the first test proves negative, continue requesting tests until you find a definitive answer.