Wheat Allergy

An allergist is a healthcare provider who specializes in allergies. They can help you diagnose your wheat allergy through tests — especially if they’re due to an IgE-mediated reaction.

Before conducting wheat allergy tests, they may ask you questions, including:

• Do you have a family history of wheat allergies?
• Have you ever been diagnosed with other food allergies?
• What are your symptoms?
• Do you take any over-the-counter (OTC) medications to treat your symptoms?
• When do you notice your symptoms start to appear?
• Do you keep a food journal?

What tests will be done to diagnose a wheat allergy?

Your allergist may use different allergy tests to help diagnose your wheat allergy based on your symptoms. These tests may include:

Skin prick (scratch) test

This test exposes your body to small amounts of wheat proteins.

Your allergist will first clean a test area of your skin with iodine or alcohol. The test area is usually on your forearm or upper back.

Your allergist will use a thin needle (lancet) to prick your skin with a small amount of liquid containing wheat proteins. The lancet won’t go deep into your skin. You’ll only feel a tiny pinch, and you won’t bleed.

Some allergists may place a droplet of liquid wheat proteins on your skin. They then use a lancet to scratch your skin lightly. The droplets will enter your skin through the scratch. You’ll only feel slight discomfort, and you won’t bleed.

Wheat allergy reactions typically occur within 15 minutes of exposure. Reactions usually include round, discolored, raised spots (wheals) that look like bug bites.

Your allergist will then measure the size of your wheal.

Blood (IgE) test

During a blood test, a laboratory technologist will use a thin needle to withdraw a small amount of blood from a vein in your arm. The blood sample goes to a laboratory. The lab adds wheat proteins to your blood sample and measures the levels of IgE antibodies in it.

It may take a week to get the results from a blood test sent to a lab.

Graded oral challenge

If you don’t get conclusive results from a skin prick test or a blood test, your allergist may order a graded oral challenge.

During a graded oral challenge, you’ll eat a small amount of wheat in your allergist’s office. Your allergist will observe you to see if a reaction develops. You may gradually eat more wheat to see how your body responds.

Your allergist will only order a graded oral challenge if you have a low or moderate risk for a severe allergic reaction.

A graded oral challenge may take up to four hours.