Gluten allergy is a fairly common ailment. Since it has no cure, patients have to learn to live with their gluten sensitivity by making radical adjustments to their diet and lifestyle. And many successfully do so, leading healthy and fit lives.
But despite your best efforts, small amounts of gluten might sometimes slip into your food. It may be from the wheat used in the flavoring of your favorite milk, or the trace quantities found in the otherwise benign oats. It might even be the result of a mislabeled product, or a careless preparation that went wrong.
The problem with gluten is that it is so widespread that completely avoiding it is quite a difficult undertaking. From the fairly obvious wheat to the far less obvious sauces and gravies, gluten is present in almost everything. Even after watching every morsel you eat, it is inevitable that some amount of the allergen finds its way into your meals every now and then.
Depending on the extent of your gluten sensitivity, exposure to gluten can affect you quite severely. You can suffer from bouts of breathlessness, apart from feeling bloated, and start tiring easily. In extreme cases (like in full-blown celiac disease) you may even be subjected to an auto-immune reaction, which can be dangerous to your health.
So here are a few tips to help you out when gluten strikes:
Tip 1: Drink Water. Lots of it.
It may seem like nothing, but trust me, drinking lots of water is just the thing to help during a gluten attack. As water circulates through your system, it purges your body of the toxins (gluten, in this case) and reduces their concentration.
Tip 2: Load up on Probiotics
Probiotics are good for all stomach ailments, and gluten attacks are no exception. The infusion of millions of ‘good’ bacteria can help break down the persistent gluten proteins that your body is unable to tackle on its own, freeing up your digestive system from the stresses of dealing with the allergen.
And oh, be sure to check the label for a ‘Gluten Free’ declaration; occasionally, even curd has gluten, and the last thing you need during a gluten attack is yet more gluten.
Tip 3: Cut Down on those Fibers
Fibers are all well and good for your digestive system, but not during a gluten attack. While it may not be necessary to switch to a completely liquid diet, it is nevertheless not prudent to eat fibrous foods at such a time. Rather, eat something like potatoes, or white rice, which is not only nutritious but also devoid of fiber. Better yet, they do not contain gluten.
Tip 4: Give it a Rest
Your body, that is. When we were talking about how gluten allergy has no cure, we were quite serious. There is literally nothing you can do save waiting it out as your body fights the allergens and recovers. The only thing you can do at this time is rest, and not tax yourself without good reason.
Conclusion
If you suffer from a gluten allergy, the presence of gluten in your diet can cause you a lot of discomforts and seriously hamper your ability to carry out day-to-day tasks. In the absence of any effective medications for the problem, your best bet is to follow these simple tips and weather the storm.
That said, it is better to avoid succumbing to a gluten attack in the first place. Watch your food intake like a hawk, even in social situations like parties and get-togethers. For, as they say, prevention is better than cure.
