|
Do you have celiac disease? Often this can be difficult to answer
because the symptoms of this gluten-sensitive disorder are easy
to overlook or are similar to those of other diseases.
Celiac disease occurs when gluten -- a protein found in food and
food ingredients made with wheat, rye or barley -- damages the lining
of the small intestine, interfering with your absorption of nutrients.
When your body can't get the nutrients it needs, health complications
can arise.
3 classic and 6 non-classic celiac symptoms
While diarrhea, abdominal pain and bloating are thought of as the
classic symptoms of celiac disease, especially with children, in
adults these symptoms aren't always present, or noticeable. Some
adults report headaches, fatigue and joint pain. Others report weight
gain or weight loss, depression and hair loss -- symptoms not often
associated with gut-related problems.
As a result, it's understandable why even health professionals sometimes
confuse celiac disease with irritable bowel syndrome, iron-deficiency
anemia caused by menstrual blood loss, Crohn’s disease, intestinal
infections, and chronic fatigue syndrome. Or treat the symptom as
stress-related.
Sad but true: most people with a celiac disorder remain undiagnosed
Because of its many different symptoms, celiac disease is commonly
under-diagnosed or misdiagnosed. Or not diagnosed at all. In fact,
health research experts estimate that while one out of 100 North
Americans is gluten-sensitive, some 97 percent of those affected
by this disorder remain undiagnosed.
Left undetected, celiac disease can lead to malnutrition and bone
problems like osteoporosis, because of the gut's poor absorption
of calcium and vitamin D. The disease can also lead to infertility,
certain digestive cancers and other autoimmune disorders such as
Type 1 diabetes and thyroid disease. In children, especially, celiac
disease can lead to delayed growth.
Now for the good news.
Finally, a new at-home screening test for celiac disease
Now there is a simple, accurate way to determine if you are suffering
from celiac disease. For the first time in Canada, Health Canada
has approved the Biocard Celiac Test Kit, an at-home test that measures
the body’s immune response to gluten from a fingertip blood sample.
While this easy, patient-friendly blood test gives a high degree
of certainty that you are either developing celiac disease or already
have celiac disease if you test positive, you still need to see
your doctor for confirmation.
Second step diagnosis: a small bowel biopsy
While the Biocard blood test is the first step in screening for
celiac disease, you still need confirmation from a small bowel biopsy
administered by your health care professional. Don't worry, the
procedure sounds worse than it is. Your doctor will simply ease
an endoscope through your mouth into the stomach’s upper intestine
so that the lining can be examined. Once those results are in, you'll
know whether you're celiac or not.
If you find out that you have celiac disease, the only treatment
is a gluten-free diet for life. Today that diet is getting easier
to follow, with a growing variety of tasty gluten-free products
from supermarkets and natural food stores.
Information on celiac disease, the Biocard Celiac Test Kit, and
links to key informational sites can be found at http://www.celiachometest.com/
About the Author
Mark Fodchuk is a business author, advertising copywriter and
article writing specialist. He is also creative director for The
Marketing Chefs, a Toronto-based agency that helps small businesses
promote and market their products and services online and offline.
http://www.themarketingchefs.com
Article Source: articledashboard.com:
Celiac Disease Symptoms: 9 Signs You May Have This Often Wrongly
Diagnosed Condition
If you would like to comment on this page please click HERE.
Return to Articles page
|
