Remember the days when ordering gluten-free food felt like a foreign language? Today, gluten-free options are becoming increasingly important and available, serving those with celiac disease and also the people who choose a gluten-free lifestyle seeking health benefits or other dietary preferences. You can also find exceptional support from a celiac specialist Houston to manage your health more effectively.
Gluten is a protein found in grains like wheat, barley, and rye. For people with celiac disease, ingesting gluten triggers an immune response that damages the small intestine. Moreover, celiac disease can develop at any age. However, if left untreated, this illness can increase your risk of developing other health issues also. While celiac disease is now more common, it affects around 1% of the global population, with many cases still remaining undiagnosed. So, understanding the celiac disease's clinical aspects becomes more than essential for managing the condition effectively.
People experiencing celiac disease when consume foods containing gluten, their body produces an immune response which attacks on their small intestine. These attacks cause damage to the villi, which are little finger-like structures inside the small intestine responsible for absorbing nutrients into the body.
Being a complex condition, the disease can cause various symptoms, including diarrhea, bloating, and gas, which can be sometimes mistaken for Irritable Bowel Syndrome. These symptoms can be difficult to detect due to the body's struggle to absorb nutrients, and vague symptoms can be overlooked or attributed to other conditions. Celiac disease can extend beyond the gut, causing issues like anemia, weak bones, and problems with women's health and fertility. If you’re unsure that you have celiac disease, it's best to consult a doctor to determine if further testing is necessary.
Celiac disease is diagnosed using a combination of serological testing and intestinal biopsies. Doctors use blood tests to look for specific antibodies your body produces in response to gluten if you have celiac disease, like anti-tissue transglutaminase and anti-endomysial antibodies. If these tests reveal celiac disease, an endoscopic biopsy is then carried out to confirm the diagnosis. To avoid false-negative findings, your doctor may recommend patients to consume gluten-containing foods during testing.
Celiac disease runs in families. If you have a close relative with celiac disease, your risk of developing it will be higher than the general population. However, it's not a guaranteed inheritance, and the exact risk falls between 4% and 15%.
Individuals who have celiac disease are four times more likely to acquire small bowel cancer and two times more likely to develop coronary artery disease.
Untreated celiac disease can result in the development of numerous other conditions, such as skin issues, low iron levels, osteoporosis, infertility and miscarriage, neurological disorders like epilepsy and migraines, short stature, heart disease, and intestinal cancers. It can also cause other autoimmune disorders like type 1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis (MS).
Doctors typically use a combination of blood tests, which look for specific antibodies produced in response to gluten, and intestinal biopsies (tissue samples) to diagnose celiac disease. The most effective treatment is a strict gluten-free diet. While it may seem difficult at first, there are plenty of delicious gluten-free options available today. Following a gluten-free diet allows the small intestine to heal and prevents further damage.
Celiac disease can be a challenge but the good news is that it is treatable. The key lies in getting a proper diagnosis. Talk to your doctor if you suspect you might have it, especially if you have a family history of the condition or experience any of the diverse symptoms mentioned above. Early diagnosis is important to prevent long-term complications and with proper treatment, dietary management, and the support of healthcare professionals, you can live a healthy and fulfilling life.