What is Celiac disease?
Celiac disease is a disorder in which consumption of gluten (proteins in wheat, barley, and rye, and sometimes in oats) causes the body’s immune system to attack and damage the small intestine. It is
not just a food allergy.
Celiac disease is a genetic, inheritable disease. It cannot be "caught". Instead, you are born with a set of genes that allows it to develop. When it occurs and what triggers is a mystery. It can happen at any time, from shortly after birth to old age. Studies suggest that it occurs in about 1 in 2500 children. Unfortunately, Celiac disease does not routinely present with the 'textbook' symptoms that physicians learn and can therefore be difficult to diagnosis.
Celiac Treatment
There is no known cure for Celiac disease, but it can usually be effectively controlled. Eating a gluten-free diet can make the symptoms go away and stop the damage occurring in the small intestine.
Celiac Misdiagnosis
Celiac disease is most commonly misdiagnosed as irritable bowel syndrome or IBS, gall bladder disease, Crohn's disease or ulcer or other irritable digestive or intestinal or bowel disease.
Diagnosing Celiac Disease
A doctor can diagnosis Celiac disease by closely observing and monitoring the clinical response to a gluten-free diet. If a patient has already been on a gluten-free diet, diagnosis cannot be made. It is necessary to see the body's response as it switches from a gluten to a gluten-free diet. Diagnosis should be made by a physician who is familiar with celiac disease and the methods to diagnose it.
According to the
National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, a physician will most likely perform the following blood tests to diagnose someone with Celiac disease:
- Total IgA
- IgA antitissue transglutaminase (tTG)
- IgA antiendomysial antibody immunofluorescence (EMA)
- If IgA is deficient, IgG tTG test should also be ordered. At the discretion of the doctor, antigliaden IgG can also be ordered.
