Allergy, Oat

Food allergies are common health issues that can affect anyone. Allergic reaction happen when your body considers a particular substance or food item as a threat. Consequently, it creates specific proteins to fight against such foods.

Amongst the various food allergies, oats allergy can affect some people. When someone with oats allergy consumes oats, their immune system perceives avenins, a type of protein found in oats that are similar in structure to gluten, as foreign invaders and produces antibodies to fight them. This immune response can lead to the release of chemicals in the body, such as histamine, which can cause a range of symptoms.

This immune response can lead to the following oat allergy symptoms:

• Tightness in chest
• Dizziness
• Loss of consciousness
• Diarrhoea
• Vomiting
• Decrease in blood pressure
• Itchy rash around the mouth
• Sneezing

An allergy to oats can produce distinct symptoms in different individuals. Hence, if you notice one or more of such signs after eating oats, you should visit or consult a physician.

Some people may also experience oats intolerance, a non-immune response to the carbohydrates or fibers present in oats. It is more common that oats allergy and is characterised by symptoms such as bloating, gas, diarrhea, stomach pain, and nausea.

To get timely treatment, it is crucial to undergo oat allergy testing. However, your doctor will analyse the following factors before suggesting an oat allergy test:

• Your history of gluten intolerance
• Symptoms after consuming oats
• Existing medications

After evaluating these parameters, a physician will recommend the test. An oat allergy test isn’t different from a simple blood test. During the test, a lab technician will take a sample of your blood to identify the presence of IgE antibodies.

If your blood specimen contains these proteins, it is evident that you have an allergy to oats. Your doctor will study these reports and suggest treatment regimen.

In the beginning, your doctor or dietician may suggest a complete exclusion of an oat-based diet. Later, the medical experts will observe any impact on the oat allergy symptoms. If there are drastic improvements, you may need to avoid oat-based foods in the future.

In addition, medicines like antihistamines can help relieve oat allergy symptoms. You may also require an epinephrine auto-injector if your oat intolerance is severe. Here are some of the foods to avoid if your blood test results indicate an allergy to oats:   

• Granola
• Porridge
• Cookies
• Pudding
• Oat bread
• Oat milk

Also, you should check whether some foodstuffs like muffins or cakes contain oats. In this case, it is always advisable to avoid the consumption of such food items.

Timely antibodies testing is crucial to determine a food allergy. As a result, you should choose a reliable pathology lab for undergoing an oat allergy test. Apollo 24|7 offers this testing at reasonable rates. You can receive the reports within a span of eight days in most cases.