Jump to content
This site uses cookies. Continued use is acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. More Info... ×
  • Welcome to Celiac.com!

    You have found your celiac tribe! Join us and ask questions in our forum, share your story, and connect with others.




  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A1):



    Celiac.com Sponsor (A1-M):


  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Help Celiac.com:
    eNewsletter
    Donate
  • Scott Adams
    Scott Adams

    How Long Does It Take to Diagnose Celiac Disease?

    Reviewed and edited by a celiac disease expert.

    So six to ten years is one answer, it's the answer for many people. But it's not the complete answer, it doesn't have to be the answer for everyone.

    How Long Does It Take to Diagnose Celiac Disease? - Image: CC--Doctor are preparing for an operation.
    Caption: Image: CC--Doctor are preparing for an operation.

    Celiac.com 05/23/2019 - One of the most common questions we see about celiac disease diagnosis is: How long does it take, on average for a person to be diagnosed with celiac disease from the time they first notice symptoms? The answer can vary from person to person, and from doctor to doctor. It can depend on what resources your doctor has to test you for celiac antibodies. It can vary by location and country.

    One doctors start looking for celiac disease, it doesn't usually take them very long. In theory, a diagnosis of celiac disease is fairly straightforward. The best case would be you notice symptoms, go see a doctor, receive a quick antibody screen, test positive for celiac antibodies, receive a biopsy and get a confirmation.

    Celiac.com Sponsor (A12):
    In reality, it almost never works like that. Diagnosis of celiac disease, like many diseases, can depend on numerous factors, including severity of symptoms, the speed with which patients notice the symptoms and seek medical attention, and the process of determining the cause of symptoms to testing for antibodies to biopsy confirmation.

    Because these factors can vary from person to person, the time from symptom onset to celiac disease diagnosis will likely be different for each person. For far too many people, though, celiac disease diagnosis is slow, and can take years, depending on the above factors. 

    Both Daniel Leffler, MD, MS, at The Celiac Center at Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center, and the Celiac Disease Foundation say that patients face "an average delay of 6-10 years for an accurate celiac disease diagnosis."

    So six to ten years is one answer, it's the answer for many people. But it's not the complete answer, it doesn't have to be the answer for everyone.

    The article goes on to say that "In Italy, where celiac disease is common, all children are screened by age 6...and Italians of any age are tested for the disease as soon as they show symptoms. As a result of this vigilance, the time between when symptoms begin and the disease is diagnosed is usually only 2 to 3 weeks."

    So, again, the length of time it takes to get a diagnosis is a combination of vigilance and testing practices. It can take years, but it can also take weeks or months. If you think you or a loved one may have celiac disease, do your best to note your symptoms, and to get screened by a physician. It's true that screening won't catch all cases, but it will catch most.

    Moreover, positive tests for anti-gliadin antibodies is a solid argument for endoscopy and biopsy. There's no reason that people with symptoms and some awareness of celiac testing should. The more people begin to press for screening based on symptoms, the more that 6-10 year number will shrink.

    Remember, the faster you get screened, the faster you can get diagnosed and begin to heal.

    Edited by Scott Adams



    User Feedback

    Recommended Comments

    There are no comments to display.



    Create an account or sign in to comment

    You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

    Create an account

    Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

    Register a new account

    Sign in

    Already have an account? Sign in here.

    Sign In Now

  • Get Celiac.com Updates:
    Help Celiac.com:
    Donate
  • About Me

    Scott Adams

    Scott Adams was diagnosed with celiac disease in 1994, and, due to the nearly total lack of information available at that time, was forced to become an expert on the disease in order to recover. In 1995 he launched the site that later became Celiac.com to help as many people as possible with celiac disease get diagnosed so they can begin to live happy, healthy gluten-free lives.  He is co-author of the book Cereal Killers, and founder and publisher of the (formerly paper) newsletter Journal of Gluten Sensitivity. In 1998 he founded The Gluten-Free Mall which he sold in 2014. Celiac.com does not sell any products, and is 100% advertiser supported.


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):
    Celiac.com Sponsor (A17):





    Celiac.com Sponsors (A17-M):




  • Related Articles

    Jefferson Adams
    06/04/2014 - A Swedish research team study of nearly four decades of population-based data shows that rates of celiac disease are rising in most age groups of children.
    The research team included Fredinah Namatovu, Olof Sandström, Cecilia Olsson, Marie Lindkvist, and Anneli Ivarsson. They are variously affiliated with the Department of Public Health and Clinical Medicine, Epidemiology and Global Health, the Department of Clinical Sciences, Paediatrics, and the Department of Food and Nutrition, all at Umeå University, in Umeå, Sweden.
    In order to assess variations by age, sex and birth cohort, and to determine the clinical impact of these changes, their research team recently looked at rates of biopsy-proven celiac disease in children in Sweden over a 36-year period. The team us...


    Jefferson Adams
    Celiac.com 01/14/2015 - Recent epidemiological studies show that celiac disease rates are still underestimated, both in Europe and in Mediterranean regions. But how is better testing impacting higher celiac numbers in Europe?
    To get a clearer picture, a team of researchers recently set out to review the latest data on celiac rates and incidence in the European Union (EU) as of September 2014.
    The research team included E. Altobelli, R. Paduano, R. Petrocelli, and F. Di Orio. They are variously affiliated with the Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences at the University of L'Aquila in L'Aquila, Italy, and with ASREM in Molise, Italy.
    They assessed the celiac disease rates and cases by conducting a search of PubMed for papers in English using the key words "celiac...


    Jefferson Adams
    Celiac.com 02/23/2015 - There's an interesting Open Original Shared Link regarding the possible role that shorter rising times in most commercial bakeries might play in celiac disease and gluten-intolerance.
    In the article, author Tom Philpott interviews Stephen Jones, a wheat breeder at Washington State University, who points out that bread rising times in commercial bakeries has been cut from hours or even days down to just minutes, through the use of fast-acting yeasts and additives.
    What's more, Jones points out, commercial bakers add a lot of extra gluten to their products. Many supermarket sliced breads, especially whole-wheat breads include something called "vital wheat gluten" among the top four ingredients. Because whole-wheat flour has a lower gluten density than white ...


    Jefferson Adams
    Celiac.com 03/21/2018 - Many people with celiac disease suffer from non-gastrointestinal symptoms. Here are 15 non-gastrointestinal symptoms that can make celiac disease difficult to diagnose. If the general public knows anything about celiac disease, it is likely that eating wheat can cause stomach problems in people with the condition. And that’s often true, classical celiac symptoms include abdominal bloating and pain, chronic diarrhea and/or constipation, and vomiting. 
    Young children are more likely to show classic signs of celiac disease, including growth problems (failure to thrive, chronic diarrhea/constipation, recurring abdominal bloating and pain, fatigue, and irritability.
    Older children and adults tend to have symptoms that are not entirely gastrointestinal in...


  • Recent Activity

    1. - CatherineWang replied to B1rdL0ver's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      40

      Dealing with constant nausea and just feeling awful.

    2. - cristiana replied to BunnyBrown's topic in Related Issues & Disorders
      3

      Recently had my esophagus dilated

    3. - cristiana replied to twe0708's topic in Post Diagnosis, Recovery & Treatment of Celiac Disease
      54

      How Long Do Celiac Patients Live?

    4. - Exchange Students replied to Exchange Students's topic in Parents, Friends and Loved Ones of Celiacs
      2

      Exchange Students who are celiac in need of host

    5. - Scott Adams replied to Exchange Students's topic in Parents, Friends and Loved Ones of Celiacs
      2

      Exchange Students who are celiac in need of host


  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A19):



  • Member Statistics

    • Total Members
      120,161
    • Most Online (within 30 mins)
      7,748

    Nehad
    Newest Member
    Nehad
    Joined

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A20):


  • Forum Statistics

    • Total Topics
      120.2k
    • Total Posts
      1m

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A22):




  • Who's Online (See full list)

    • There are no registered users currently online

  • Celiac.com Sponsor (A21):



  • Popular Now

    • Sunflowers06
      6
    • Momkaren
      10
    • Elizabeth M Blair
      5
    • B1rdL0ver
    • twe0708
      54
  • Popular Articles

    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
    • Scott Adams
  • Upcoming Events

×
×
  • Create New...