Celiac Support of Greater Phoenix
Gluten Free Lifestyle Resources
*** Celiac Disease ***
Tell Me More.
Do you have unexplained intestinal problems? Maybe you've been diagnosed with one of many intestinal disorders including IBS or were even told it was all due to anxiety. Perhaps the suggestion was to eat more fiber or just to relieve some of the stress in your life. You may have tried many solutions but still feel ill. Have you considered Celiac Disease?
Celiac Disease is an autoimmune condition where the body creates antibodies in reaction to the ingestion of gluten (found in foods with derivatives of wheat, barley, rye and possibly oats) in genetically susceptible individuals. In the Celiac patient, the ingestion of gluten results in damage to the villi, which, over time, can cause malnutrition, anemia, osteoporosis, and a number of other serious maladies.
The symptoms of Celiac Disease are many and may include gas, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, abdominal pain, iron deficiency, or chronic fatigue. Keep in mind, however, that there is no typical celiac. Individuals range from having no symptoms to the extreme where patients present to their physicians with multiple symptoms. In either case, the damage being done to the body is the same.
For years, American physicians have considered the condition "rare." More and more studies, however, are proving this assumption wrong. Unfortunately, however, the disease is frequently overlooked or misdiagnosed, leaving a Celiac adult patient to suffer sometimes as long as 10 to 15 years before being diagnosed. Children, on the other hand, get diagnosed rapidly once the symptoms are identified. Unfortunately, their symptoms are also frequently overlooked
According to research conducted by the University of Maryland Celiac Disease Center, 1 in 133 Americans may have Celiac Disease and aren't aware of it. Those figures include Americans of all ages, including children. A 1993-1999 study of children in Denver produced results concluding that 1 in 100 children have evidence of CD by the age of five. These findings now correlate with a study conducted in the UK, which has come up with the same 1 in 100 conclusion.
The good news, however, is that the Celiac patient can live a long and healthy life even though, as a genetic disorder, there is no cure for the condition. The solution is early detection and strict compliance to a gluten-free diet, which will eventually result in healed villi and relief from symptoms.
Early detection of the condition is crucial. Further investigation through a qualified physician is recommended if Celiac Disease is suspected. It's important to stress, however, that experimenting with a gluten free diet prior to an official diagnosis is unwise, as it may taint the results of the doctor's tests.
Be alert to the possibility of Celiac Disease and do discuss it with your physician. Use your local and national support groups as resources. You may just find that there is an answer to those nagging intestinal problems after all and it just might be Celiac Disease.
Check out these sites for more information on Celiac Disease:
National Institute of Health - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/celiac/
NIH June 2004 Conference on Celiac Disease - http://www.consensus.nih.gov/cons/118/celiacbackground.html
Celiac Disease Foundation - http://www.celiac.org/cd-main.html
Mayo Clinic - http://www.mayoclinic.com/invoke.cfm?id=DS00319
Univ. of Maryland Center for Celiac Research - (800) 492-5538 http://www.celiaccenter.org/
CD & GF Diet Support Center - http://www.celiac.com/
Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University - http://www.celiacdiseasecenter.columbia.edu/
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