OLYMPIC gold medallist Sally Gunnell says she feared her son might have had a brain tumour after he was crippled by excruciating headaches.

Sally, 52, who lives in Steyning, says son Luca, 17, suffered agonising migraines from when he was just a toddler and barely able to say the word “headache”.

The situation got so bad she and husband Jonathan Bigg feared Luca might have a brain tumour, and admitted him for numerous tests.

But now Sally says she and Luca have finally got to the root of the mystery, revealing how a food intolerance test signalled he was sensitive to wheat.

And after cutting it from his diet, Luca’s nightmarish headaches have suddenly stopped.

Sally, who is also mum to sons Finley, 20 and Marley, 13, is urging other parents to be aware of the dangers.

The track and field athlete, who won the 1992 Olympic gold medal in the 400-metre hurdles in Barcelona, Spain, and has also taken a food intolerance test, said: “Discovering the food intolerances has honestly been life-changing for me, and even more so for my sons, particularly Luca.

“I wish we’d have known about his food intolerances years ago.

“He used to be quite argumentative and difficult, as a lot of kids can be.

“But how many kids’ issues do we put down to their age and hormones when actually it could be down to the types of food they’re eating?

“Luca had headaches for absolutely years, suffering with migraines that would have him bed-ridden.

“His moods were always low and he was always so tired as a child that he’d have to go to bed early. He’d be argumentative, and also quite edgy.

“And now we know it was down to wheat, not hormones. Not his age, but an intolerance to wheat.

“It’s utterly changed his life. We’ve all seen a complete change in him. And I only wish he could have been tested years ago.”

Sally and Luca saw numerous specialists in search of what was contributing to the problem, only to run into a brick wall each time.

She revealed: “Luca’s headaches were a real worry. In fact, the situation got so bad we started to think he might have a brain tumour, as the headaches came so often and were so severe.

“And now we know, it all stems from his intolerance to wheat. As soon as he eats something with wheat in it, he gets a headache.”