Celiac disease
Celiac disease by definition is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. is triggered by consumption of the protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye. When people with celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging the finger-like villi of the small intestine. When the villi become damaged, the body is unable to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, which can lead to malnourishment.
They say 1 in 133 people are affected by it and 2.5 million Americans are undiagnosed with the disease. The disease occurs in genetically predisposed individuals but the cause is unknown. People with a first-degree relative with celiac disease (parent, child, sibling) have a 1 in 10 risk of developing celiac disease. That means if someone in your family has been diagnosed with celiac disease, you are at an increased risk for the disease.
If you are at risk from having it in your genes you should get tested even if you don't have any symptoms. Undiagnosed celiac disease can have long-term consequences, so early diagnosis is key. There are many tests and exams you can get to determine if you have celiac or not. these tests include bone density, cholesterol (low), complete blood count (For anemia), comprehensive metabolic panel, folate level (serum), iron level (serum), prothrombin time, vitamin B12 level (serum), and vitamin D level. More effective tests include Blood tests, which detect antibodies that are called anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies(tTGA) or anti-endomysial antibodies (EMA). If the blood test comes back positive usually the Dr. will have a upper endoscopy preformed. During the upper endoscopy, they sample a piece of tissue (biopsy) from the first part of the small intestine.
After you are diagnosed a follow-up biopsy or blood test may be in order after several months. Those results will tell if the treatment is working or not, normal results mean that you have responded to the treatment which then confirms the diagnosis but does not mean the disease is cured.
Celiac can develop at any age after people start eating foods or medicines that contain gluten.
when left untreated, celiac disease can leas to additional serious health problems. Health problems include development of an autoimmune disorder like type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis (MS), dermatitis herpetiformis, which is an itchy skin rash, anemia, otseoporosis, infertility and miscarriage, neurological conditions like epilepsy and migrains, short stature, and intestinal cancers.
As of treatment.. there is no cure to the disease. The only treatment is lifelong adherence to a strict gluten-free diet. This means avoiding foods with wheat, rye, and barley, such as bread and beer. Even ingesting small amounts of wheat or barley, such as crumbs from a cutting board or a toaster, can trigger small intestine damage.
They say 1 in 133 people are affected by it and 2.5 million Americans are undiagnosed with the disease. The disease occurs in genetically predisposed individuals but the cause is unknown. People with a first-degree relative with celiac disease (parent, child, sibling) have a 1 in 10 risk of developing celiac disease. That means if someone in your family has been diagnosed with celiac disease, you are at an increased risk for the disease.
If you are at risk from having it in your genes you should get tested even if you don't have any symptoms. Undiagnosed celiac disease can have long-term consequences, so early diagnosis is key. There are many tests and exams you can get to determine if you have celiac or not. these tests include bone density, cholesterol (low), complete blood count (For anemia), comprehensive metabolic panel, folate level (serum), iron level (serum), prothrombin time, vitamin B12 level (serum), and vitamin D level. More effective tests include Blood tests, which detect antibodies that are called anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies(tTGA) or anti-endomysial antibodies (EMA). If the blood test comes back positive usually the Dr. will have a upper endoscopy preformed. During the upper endoscopy, they sample a piece of tissue (biopsy) from the first part of the small intestine.
After you are diagnosed a follow-up biopsy or blood test may be in order after several months. Those results will tell if the treatment is working or not, normal results mean that you have responded to the treatment which then confirms the diagnosis but does not mean the disease is cured.
Celiac can develop at any age after people start eating foods or medicines that contain gluten.
when left untreated, celiac disease can leas to additional serious health problems. Health problems include development of an autoimmune disorder like type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis (MS), dermatitis herpetiformis, which is an itchy skin rash, anemia, otseoporosis, infertility and miscarriage, neurological conditions like epilepsy and migrains, short stature, and intestinal cancers.
As of treatment.. there is no cure to the disease. The only treatment is lifelong adherence to a strict gluten-free diet. This means avoiding foods with wheat, rye, and barley, such as bread and beer. Even ingesting small amounts of wheat or barley, such as crumbs from a cutting board or a toaster, can trigger small intestine damage.