May is Celiac awareness month. I discovered that I have this
disease in 2011 after reading an article about it. As I had been suffering for
many years from some of the symptoms, I decided to take out the gluten from my
diet. The first week already felt the benefits of a gluten-free diet. That was
in April.
In May I was hospitalized and unable to walk. (That's another story).
Since I was going to undergo numerous tests, I asked to be tested for Celiac
disease and was tested positive.
A few years later my abdominal pains returned too hard so I went to
gastroenterologist and had an endoscopy and a colonoscopy done, which confirmed
prior blood tests.
Since then, I've been studying a lot about Celiac disease and have
joined some Celiac groups where a whole new world has opened up to me.
My luck is that my kitchen is fully gluten- free. But unfortunately when
I eat food prepared in other kitchens, I still have discomfort due to the gluten
contamination. (Pots and pans that have been used for other products containing
gluten can cause this).
In Brazil there is a 10-year law which enforces that products must state
whether the product contains gluten or not. This is already super positive and
makes life easier. But there are also restaurants where they tell you they
serve gluten-free dishes, but use the same kitchen. That is not a problem for
people who just got rid of gluten from their diets to lose weight, but for
people with Celiac Disease that can be quite dangerous, not to mention painful.
Before you make any changes in your diet, make sure to consult a doctor.
Here are a few facts
that I have learned about Celiac disease.
Celiac disease may
present with one or more symptoms and all complaints should be considered. The
most common symptoms are:
- Chronic diarrhea
(lasting more than 30 days)
- Constipation
- Anemia
- Lack of appetite
- Vomiting
- Weight loss /
obesity
- Delayed growth
- Mood changes:
irritability or depression
- Abdominal
distention (bloating)
- Abdominal pain
- Repeat Thrush
- Osteoporosis /
osteopenia
- Delayed growth in
children
- Repeat Abortions.
What is the diagnosis
of Celiac Disease like?
After clinical
suspicion, the exams that allow the diagnosis of Celiac Disease are:
- Laboratory tests:
serological tests to dose the gliadin, endomysial and transglutaminase antibodies;
- Endoscopy with
biopsy of the small intestine (duodenum) to confirm the diagnosis.
Do not start a gluten-free
diet before undergoing the tests to not affect the results.
Celiac Disease
Foundation:
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