Inhaling Flour

[mandigirl1]

This may sound like a really stupid question (although as a teacher, I tell my students that NO question is a stupid one), but I was wondering if you inhale flour, are you getting glutened? For ex. Non gluten-free bread in a basket, sitting right in front of you, while eating with someone who isnt gluten-free. Or walking past a bakery, or the bread aisle in a supermarket?

Is there any research on this?

I once had to go to a bread factory with my students. It was a free trip, the kids were soooo excited, didnt want to let them down. So, me with my celiac disease, in an actual bread making factory, was risky. No? Now that Im thinking of it, that wasnt smart at all!!!!

[KaitiUSA]

The thing that would be a problem is loose flour because you would inhale that and even that little bit would end up in your digestive tract and then cause damage.

I would not worry about solid foods that have gluten in them sitting in front of you..the loose stuff I would worry about though because you will get glutened that way very easily.

[Lisa]

I can't answer that questions for you. I spend most days in a gourmet food business and we frequently sell alot of pre-packaged scone mix and pancake mix in paper pre-prepared "bags". When I ring them up, they always go "poof" from the bag sending powder all over my hands. I also lick my fingers to separate the special tissues that we put in to bags to "make them pretty".

It dawned on me just the other day what I was doing....so, yes I do get the creepies when I walk down the flour line at the grocery.

Injesting through breathing, that I don't know....but I do know the feeling.

I do wash my hands alot after realizing what I was doing.

[lovegrov]

I think if you're in a place where there's loose flour in the air you could get some down your throat. I wouldn't worry at all about baked bread unless you get crumbs in your food or on your hands.

richard

[Diosa]

I get glutened from the air. I can't go into any bakeries or nywhere that has baking bread. In fact on my holiday to Wales visiting the future in-laws, I got amazingly sick from his mum (not knowing about that air-bourne problems I have) made garlic bread that made me incredibly sick and caused me t resort to the prescription painkillers for the first time in months. I was in our room sobbing from the pain (aand the unfairness of it. Heh.)

I guess I'm saying it's entirely possible that it could affect you. It certainly does me.

[lovegrov]

I get glutened from the air.   I can't go into any bakeries or nywhere that has baking bread.  In fact on my holiday to Wales visiting the future in-laws, I got amazingly sick from his mum (not knowing about that air-bourne problems I have) made garlic bread that made me incredibly sick and caused me t resort to the prescription painkillers for the first time in months.  I was in our room sobbing from the pain (aand the unfairness of it. Heh.)

I guess I'm saying it's entirely possible that it could affect you.  It certainly does me.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Are you sure you don't also have a wheat allergy?

richard

[bluelotus]

Coming from a science background, I ask a lot of questions myself and have always wondered about this. What is in a smell? If you are at the in-laws, a restaurant, whatever, and "smell" bread, isn't that in itself a particle? But what kind of particle is it and what is in the particle? It scared me one day while I was at Panera Bread with my husband (watching him eat, since I rarely risk it at a restaurant any more).....I couldn't tell you if I got sick following that trip or not, I don't remember. It will be interesting to see what others post about this.

[skbird]

I have read conflicting opinions on this quite frequently. I know that not all my gluten problems are stomach related so I don't think it has to reach my gut for me to have a reaction. Many of my problems are neurological. I have a non-allergic but toxic reaction to peppers and tomatoes, and have gotten sick from inhaling them or touching them, so I can believe it's possible to have some similar reaction to gluten. Many products like shampoo and lotion cause reations in people who don't actually consume them so I can believe that inhaling flour may cause some people a reaction.

I mean, think about cocaine. People put that up their nose, it gets into their blood stream and causes a reaction. Why not flour? If it can enter your blood stream, I would think it could still cause a reaction, even if it's not in your gut. It's still a foreign body in your's and your body still would react by making antibodies to it, and those antibodies could still affect your gut, or skin or brain, etc.

I would be cautious about going to a bakery. In addition to the potential loose flour in the air, you could touch a surface with flour dusted on it or get some in your hair or whatever.

Just my two cents...

Stephanie

[ravenwoodglass]

I agree that you can react from inhaling flour. I get migraines, no pain thank goodness just flashing lights) from inhalation. Also in some countries they use a gluten rectal suppository and biopsy the rectum instead of the small intestine because gluten causes mucous membrane reactions and this is considered safer than the endoscopy that they use here. Cheaper too I imagine. This may be why some of us have nasty hemmie problems when glutened.

[Eliza13]

I used to work in a grocery store prior to diagnosis and would always sneeze when scanning flour. Not sure if it is related to celiac, but that is my experience.

[Merika]

Yes, you can get glutened from inhaling flour. I wouldn't worry about someone eating bread at the table with you, but I would be surprised if you didn't get glutened at the bread factory. My mom used to visit a Kraft factory for her job, and everytime she'd get sick, because of the flour in the air (she's celiac too).

Merika

[mart]

I'm certainly no expert, but I recently read in the "Living Without" magazine that a young celiac boy (pre-diagnosis) visited the bakery with his mom, and threw up totally unexpectedly while standing by the bagels. Also, Bette Hagman (The Gluten Free Gourmet) recommends in her book that if someone in the house is going to consume wheat products, they should be buy them already made, as she felt it could be harmful for the celiac to inhale any wheat flour.

[mandigirl1]

Thank you everyone for your helpful input. I appreciate that people take the time to respond.....this forum is great!

I have a specific question for richard. You asked someone if they are allergic to wheat in addition to having celiac disease. I'm confused. How could someone with celiac disease not have an allergy for wheat?????

Again, thanks fellow Celiacs!!!

Im going to post new blogs on some other questions and concerns I have. I assume you have to start a new topic everytime?????

[KaitiUSA]

Celiac is not an allergy.

I have a severe allergy to wheat as well as celiac.

[skbird]

Actually, since gluten intolerance isn't an allergy, you don't necessiarly have a wheat allergy, too. That is a different body reaction - a histamine reaction, whereas gluten is an autoimmune reaction. You could have both, but not everyone does.

Stephanie

[Eliza13]

Yeah...that's what I thought. I think I have both b/c I frequently sneeze when I am around flour. Lucky me!