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For celiac sufferers, strict diet is necessary
Life without wheat is a challenge
Date published: 7/29/2007
IMAGINE what life would be like if eating wheat made you very sick, and you had to avoid not just bread, but even processed foods that had tiny amounts of wheat such as hot dogs, canned soups and ice cream. Millions of Americans face this problem every day--it's called celiac disease. Years ago, celiac disease was thought to be extremely rare. It was diagnosed only in severe cases, such as people who were malnourished despite eating normal amounts of food, and who had chronic diarrhea or Nowadays, doctors can diagnose celiac disease when it has milder symptoms, such as fatigue, bloating, anemia and infertility (or in some cases, no symptoms at all). This is important, because mild symptoms can slowly and silently progress to serious problems such as osteoporosis and increased risk of lymphoma. About 1 in 133 Americans has celiac disease, and the only cure is a strict diet avoiding gluten--a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. People also have to avoid oats that are milled in the same facilities that process wheat and thus get contaminated. Even invisible amounts of gluten can cause a reaction in these folks. The problem is, the condition is hard to identify, because people can have vague symptoms that can be delayed by hours or even weeks, making it hard to connect them with wheat. Unlike food allergies, which cause immediate symptoms like hives or trouble breathing, celiac disease slowly damages the small intestine. This makes it harder to absorb nutrients, which can lead to broken bones due to not absorbing calcium, anemia from not absorbing iron, and many milder problems that make a person feel run-down and tired. If you think you have celiac disease, the National Institutes of Health now recommends the TTG and EMA blood tests--your doctor will know what they are and whether you need them. (It's important not to avoid wheat and gluten before the test, as that can make celiac disease harder to detect.) If a blood test is positive, the next step is a biopsy of the small intestine. Celiac disease runs in families, so parents, siblings and children of people with celiac disease should get tested, even if they don't have any symptoms. Celiac disease also is more common in people with Type 1 diabetes and Down syndrome.
Date published: 7/29/2007
Get Tested!
(posted by
jl
, Sep. 25, 2007 2:41 pm)
Over 97 percent of people with Celiac Disease--up to 3 million in the U.S.-- are undiagnosed. They are fatigued or iron deficient or infertile and don't know why. A change in diet to gluten free often dramatically changes their lives, for the better.
Online, there is http://www.glutenfreequiz.com to see if you should be gluten free. Celiac Disease is hard to diagnose without lab tests or intestinal biopsy. These are the best ways.
This is an clear article that is helpful and accurate. Great work!
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