Celiac Disease
Finding
out that you could no longer eat a particular type of food because your body can’t
properly function is exactly what happens to someone with Celiac Disease. Good
nutrition and knowledge of the disease are essential assets for anyone learning
the life-changing news that one has Celiac Disease.
Celiac Disease is a genetic condition in which the body produces an immune response to a protein found in various barley, wheat, and rye products that causes the villi to shut down and limit the amount of nutrients that the body can absorb. Villi are found in the small intestine and help aid in digestion by absorbing nutrients that the body will later go on and use to help one perform typical, everyday functions. If these villi can’t properly function at absorbing nutrients, symptoms such as: abdominal bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, and fatty stool can result. This is why the disease itself is looked upon as not only an immune reaction to gluten but also as a disease of malabsorption.
It is very common for Celiac Disease to vary in one’s experience because there is a vast array of possibilities that can occur from the body’s response to the malnutrition. The genetic disorder occurs in over nearly 2 million people living in the United States alone. The closer the genetic tie to someone with Celiac Disease, the greater the possibility of one inheriting the genetic make-up. Once thought to be a rare childhood syndrome, Celiac Disease is commonly occurring and constantly affecting the lives of people all around the world.
One can sometimes find it challenging to recognize whether or not he or she has Celiac Disease. The reason being lies with that fact that the symptoms occurring within the body are closely related to the symptoms of multiple other diseases dealing with the digestive system. This is exactly why around 2.5 million Americans are currently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. To properly get diagnosed for Celiac Disease one may consider getting a blood test done. The reason behind the blood testing deals with the increased amount of anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies within the blood. If the test comes back positive, the physician will go ahead and schedule a biopsy of the small intestine to confirm that the patient does indeed have the disease. During the biopsy a gastroenterologist removes a piece of sample tissue from the small intestine to look for any damage related to Celiac Disease. One condition that has a close correlation to Celiac Disease is dermatitis herpetiformis. It is known that somewhere between 15-25% of people with Celiac Disease can also admit to dealing with DH. Even if a slight suspicion arises, one should consider getting screened for Celiac Disease, especially if a relative has the disease, because knowing sooner than later will only allow one a head-start at avoiding the potential life-long health complications that come along with being undiagnosed.
Because the effects of Celiac Disease are life-long, unavoidable, and inevitable, one must realize that the treatment will affect and shape the way one consumes and purchases various foods. As soon as one enters the treatment phase for Celiac Disease, a gluten-free diet is advised to be closely followed. By no longer allowing gluten to enter the gastrointestinal tract, villi will begin to heal within days of starting the diet. Within 3 to 6 months a child’s small intestine will be completely healed, and unfortunately for adults, it can take several years for the intestine to properly repair itself. This fact shows the importance of an early diagnosis to result in rapid treatment.
Proper nutrition is supported during the treatment process by various health care professionals consulting with a patient to achieve a proper daily gluten-free diet. In most cases a doctor will recommend working with a dietitian to learn the various life-style changes that must occur in order to decide on what one’s diet can now consist of. If the diet is properly followed, one will avoid numerous long-term, health effects such as: osteoporosis, anemia, and cancer. Some people who are correctly addressing Celiac Disease also have other diseases that involve the body’s healthy cells being attacked by the immune system. These long-term effects are irreversible because, like Celiac Disease, the effects are caused by a disease that occurs genetically and ultimately there is no way for one to go about avoiding inheriting Celiac Disease.
Reversible, short-term effects of Celiac Disease might involve iron, calcium, and vitamin D deficiencies due to adhering to a strict, gluten-free diet. If deficiencies are known, a doctor will prescribe the necessary supplements to reverse the inadequate levels of vitamins within the body.
Due to the fact that one has to buy specialized food products and supplements to meet the dietary requirements for Celiac Disease, the everyday cost of food products can potentially increase resulting in an extra financial burden. However, one should not allow the financial factor to set a restraint on the products he or she buys. There are many alternatives to use in place of gluten products. Also many gluten-free resources and recipes are available to set up a realistic meal plan that can not only accommodate your needs but also those of others who don’t have Celiac Disease. Many products now have a “gluten-free” version in which you can substitute in place of the original product. This allows the possible psychosocial effects that might occur with Celiac Disease to decrease because of the diminishing fine line separating those with and without the disease.
I personally like to look into finding those recipes that erase that line and bring others closer together by avoiding differences in diet. This is the main reason behind wanting to explore the basis behind Celiac Disease. If one can create something that someone once thought he or she had to live without due to a health problem, I can only help but think of the amount of thanks I would have for that special someone if I were in the shoes of someone with Celiac Disease. It’s amazing to think of what good nutrition can provide for someone. Whether or not that nutrition can be with gluten or without, Celiac Disease will constantly pose a new lifestyle for those who end up inheriting the disease.
Celiac Disease is a genetic condition in which the body produces an immune response to a protein found in various barley, wheat, and rye products that causes the villi to shut down and limit the amount of nutrients that the body can absorb. Villi are found in the small intestine and help aid in digestion by absorbing nutrients that the body will later go on and use to help one perform typical, everyday functions. If these villi can’t properly function at absorbing nutrients, symptoms such as: abdominal bloating, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, and fatty stool can result. This is why the disease itself is looked upon as not only an immune reaction to gluten but also as a disease of malabsorption.
It is very common for Celiac Disease to vary in one’s experience because there is a vast array of possibilities that can occur from the body’s response to the malnutrition. The genetic disorder occurs in over nearly 2 million people living in the United States alone. The closer the genetic tie to someone with Celiac Disease, the greater the possibility of one inheriting the genetic make-up. Once thought to be a rare childhood syndrome, Celiac Disease is commonly occurring and constantly affecting the lives of people all around the world.
One can sometimes find it challenging to recognize whether or not he or she has Celiac Disease. The reason being lies with that fact that the symptoms occurring within the body are closely related to the symptoms of multiple other diseases dealing with the digestive system. This is exactly why around 2.5 million Americans are currently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. To properly get diagnosed for Celiac Disease one may consider getting a blood test done. The reason behind the blood testing deals with the increased amount of anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies within the blood. If the test comes back positive, the physician will go ahead and schedule a biopsy of the small intestine to confirm that the patient does indeed have the disease. During the biopsy a gastroenterologist removes a piece of sample tissue from the small intestine to look for any damage related to Celiac Disease. One condition that has a close correlation to Celiac Disease is dermatitis herpetiformis. It is known that somewhere between 15-25% of people with Celiac Disease can also admit to dealing with DH. Even if a slight suspicion arises, one should consider getting screened for Celiac Disease, especially if a relative has the disease, because knowing sooner than later will only allow one a head-start at avoiding the potential life-long health complications that come along with being undiagnosed.
Because the effects of Celiac Disease are life-long, unavoidable, and inevitable, one must realize that the treatment will affect and shape the way one consumes and purchases various foods. As soon as one enters the treatment phase for Celiac Disease, a gluten-free diet is advised to be closely followed. By no longer allowing gluten to enter the gastrointestinal tract, villi will begin to heal within days of starting the diet. Within 3 to 6 months a child’s small intestine will be completely healed, and unfortunately for adults, it can take several years for the intestine to properly repair itself. This fact shows the importance of an early diagnosis to result in rapid treatment.
Proper nutrition is supported during the treatment process by various health care professionals consulting with a patient to achieve a proper daily gluten-free diet. In most cases a doctor will recommend working with a dietitian to learn the various life-style changes that must occur in order to decide on what one’s diet can now consist of. If the diet is properly followed, one will avoid numerous long-term, health effects such as: osteoporosis, anemia, and cancer. Some people who are correctly addressing Celiac Disease also have other diseases that involve the body’s healthy cells being attacked by the immune system. These long-term effects are irreversible because, like Celiac Disease, the effects are caused by a disease that occurs genetically and ultimately there is no way for one to go about avoiding inheriting Celiac Disease.
Reversible, short-term effects of Celiac Disease might involve iron, calcium, and vitamin D deficiencies due to adhering to a strict, gluten-free diet. If deficiencies are known, a doctor will prescribe the necessary supplements to reverse the inadequate levels of vitamins within the body.
Due to the fact that one has to buy specialized food products and supplements to meet the dietary requirements for Celiac Disease, the everyday cost of food products can potentially increase resulting in an extra financial burden. However, one should not allow the financial factor to set a restraint on the products he or she buys. There are many alternatives to use in place of gluten products. Also many gluten-free resources and recipes are available to set up a realistic meal plan that can not only accommodate your needs but also those of others who don’t have Celiac Disease. Many products now have a “gluten-free” version in which you can substitute in place of the original product. This allows the possible psychosocial effects that might occur with Celiac Disease to decrease because of the diminishing fine line separating those with and without the disease.
I personally like to look into finding those recipes that erase that line and bring others closer together by avoiding differences in diet. This is the main reason behind wanting to explore the basis behind Celiac Disease. If one can create something that someone once thought he or she had to live without due to a health problem, I can only help but think of the amount of thanks I would have for that special someone if I were in the shoes of someone with Celiac Disease. It’s amazing to think of what good nutrition can provide for someone. Whether or not that nutrition can be with gluten or without, Celiac Disease will constantly pose a new lifestyle for those who end up inheriting the disease.