Causes

If you have wheat allergy, exposure to a wheat protein primes your immune system for an allergic reaction. You can develop an allergy to any of the four classes of wheat proteins — albumin, globulin, gliadin and gluten.

Sources of wheat proteins

Some sources of wheat proteins are obvious, such as bread, but all wheat proteins — and gluten in particular — can be found in many prepared foods and even in some cosmetics, bath products and play dough. Foods that may include wheat proteins include:

• Breads and bread crumbs
• Cakes, muffins and cookies
• Breakfast cereals
• Pasta
• Couscous
• Farina
• Semolina
• Spelt
• Crackers
• Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• Soy sauce
• Meat products, such as hot dogs
• Dairy products, such as ice cream
• Natural flavorings
• Gelatinized starch
• Modified food starch
• Vegetable gum

If you have wheat allergy, it's possible you might also be allergic to barley, oats and rye. Unless you're allergic to grains other than wheat, though, the recommended wheat-free diet is less restrictive than a gluten-free diet.

Wheat-dependent, exercise-induced anaphylaxis

Some people with wheat allergy develop symptoms only if they exercise within a few hours after 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 usually results in life-threatening anaphylaxis.