Celiac disease info

[Yvonne (Vonnie) Mostat, RN]

As a celiac you want to obtain as much information on the disease as possible, and statistics are a large part of the “statistics  in celiac disease”, and if you know what chronic illness is , some commonality of

research findings. The University of Chicago Celiac Disease Centre kindly forwarded an article on Celiac Disease Symptoms and findings Did you know that a recent study in North America showed that an active case-finding strategy they use to find out whether you are a legitimate celiac disease person, or have Non Celiac Gluten Sensitivity; their symptoms are not always the same. Now if you are showing almost all the symptoms of celiac disease, chances are you have it, even though you do not have celiac disease you are experiencing symptoms of positive celiac disease. According to the World Gastroenterology Organization, celiac disease may be divided into two types:-  classical and non-classical. It also lists separately silent celiac disease, also differs from official celiac disease. Some people who attend their family physician with vague symptoms that do not fall into the category of Classic celiac disease classical celiac disease, patients have signs and symptoms of malabsorption, including diarrhea, steatorrhea (pale, foul-smelling, fatty stools), and weight loss or growth failure in children. Just as celiac disease or growth failure in children. Differ from each other. The number of ways celiac disease can affect patients, combined with a lack of training in medical schools , and primarily care residency programs Some people contribute to the poorly screened celiac disease problem. NCGS is a legitimate diagnosis where often patients complain of abdominal bloating and distention and flatulence. However a physician should not blindly stamp someone as a Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity person even if they complain of bloating and flatulence, but they do not have celiac disease…YET! If they continue to eat large amounts of gluten, a person with NCGS may have a life-threatening condition. They can also have villous atrophy damage to their small intestine; thus the importance of the old, tried and true biopsy of the Jejeunum part of the intestines. It caused me to cry 35 years ago when my test came back as positive after the second biopsy.  The gastroenterologist had failed to biopsy the Jejeunum part of the bowel the first time, and thankfully it was noted in his letter that he felt the gastroenterologist had failed to biopsy the Jejeunum, so my biopsy had to be re-done, So many of you are aware of this self defeating response. First you have celiac disease. Then you were told after the biopsy that it was negative and you did not have celiac disease, then you do not have it, YET!  And, 35 years ago there was NCGS, it was listed at the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Center It was not considered celiac disease BUT there is a risk of developing celiac disease  **First degree relatives, parents, siblings, and children, should always be screened. Anyone who lists most or all of these symptoms should always be screened for celiac disease.

Did you know that people with “just wheat allergies” must avoid wheat, but most are able to eat other grains, including gluten-containing ones like barley and rye.. A wheat allergy refers to an allergic reaction to wheat proteins, the symptoms of which may be life threatening. This condition is treated with a wheat-free diet, not necessarily a gluten-free diet. BUT, in the information that the University of Chicago Celiac Disease Centre warns that people who know they are sensitive to wheat should beware. The proteins found in wheat are also found in barley and rye, so do not be one of those people who say, “Well, at least it is only wheat that I am allergic to, so roll on the barley in my soup and I will have the daily dark rye bread, the protein found in those two grains must not affect me because we used to have all the barley drink we could drink, and rye bread was a staple in our home, when I was young.” This type of thinking can put you into the legitimate celiac disease category in no time. There are more than 200 known celiac disease symptoms, which may occur in Be aware, and take care.

Did you know that there is a group of people that fall into the category of “Silent Celiac Disease”, Or asymptomatic Celiac Disease. They do not complain of any symptoms, but still have villous atrophy damage to their small intestine. Studies show that even though patients thought they had no symptoms, after going on a strict gluten-free diet, they reported better health and a reduction in acid reflux. Abdominal bloating, distension and flatulence fall into the category of “Silent celiac disease, or asymptomatic. Some people with celiac disease have no symptoms at all, but still test positive

In non-classical celiac disease, patients may have mild gastrointestinal symptoms without clear signs of malabsorption or may have seemingly unrelated symptoms. They may suffer from iron deficiency anemia, chronic fatigue, chronic migraines, peripheral neuropathy, (tingling, numbness or pain in hands or feet). Unexplained chronic hypertransaminasemia (elevated liver enzymes)., reduced bone mass, and bone fractures, and vitamin deficiency (folic acid and B12, late menarch, early menopause, and unexplained infertility, dental enamel defects, depression and anxiety, dermatitis herpetiformis (itchy skin rash) Dental enamel defects, depression and anxiety. The itchy skin rash that tends to run in lines along your upper thighs, arms, and the worse place to get DH is in the scalp! If you have never had DH, I urge you to stay within your celiac diet because there is nothing worse than itching your scalp, legs and upper arms. And it took a year for all the DH sores to go from my scalp. I felt like I was losing my hair I was itching so much. I came home from working at the hospital and the first thing I did was put my head under the cold water tap. and then when the sores are drying up, you cannot resist still scratching the area and taking the tops of the healing sores. It is “No Joke”!  I am an unfortunate Celiac in that I CAN ONLY GO three days without Dapsone before the sores start to appear even now. Dapsone we used to only be able to get from India, thankfully now it is once again prescribed in Canada.

So now we have more options in research that we can observe the changes in your body with celiac disease and NCGS.  Parents and siblings, children of the family should all be checked for celiac disease, since there is a 12 in 10 risk of developing celiac disease.

Did you know that currently in the U.S.A. they advise first- degree relatives (Parent, child, siblings) should be screened since they have a ONE in TEN risk of having the Disease.

The Celiac Disease Foundation offers a symptoms checklist to help you and your physician determine if you should be tested for celiac disease:  LOOK IT UP AT   https://celiac.org/celiac-disease/understanding - celiac disease-2/Celiac diseases symptoms/.

                Some symptoms commonly found in celiac disease are diarrhea and weight loss, but research published in the medical journal BMC, Gastroenterology now confirms what gastroenterologists, have been saying anecdotally, that there is now tally. Some people experience symptoms found in celiac disease, such as “Foggy mind”, depression, ADHD= like behaviour, The terms non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) and non-celiac wheat allergy, though at times you feel that they all they make you ill, “At Risk’ groups such as those listed above”. The diagnosis rates increased more than 40 folds.{These symptoms (NCGS) and non-celiac wheat sensitivity, (NCWS are generally used to refer to this condition. When removing gluten from the diet resolves symptoms.

                Some facts may not be known by every one seeking a diagnosis. NB: “Duration of exposure to gluten and risk for autoimmune disorders in patients with celiac disease.  Celiac df Dsease affects 1% of healthy average Americans , that means 3 million people in our country are living with celiac disease. 97% are undiagnosed. Keep in mind that celiac disease is hard to diagnose because symptoms are so diffuse: anemia, osteoporosis, loss of dental enamel, heartburn, headaches, tingling hands and feet, joint pain, a blistery skin rash, (if you are unfortunate enough to experience Dermatitis Herpetiformis. Children may suffer vomiting, diarrhea, poor appetite, muscle wasting, and even failure to thrive: adolescents may be abnormally, small for their age with delayed puberty.

                Among the hardest symptoms to pinpoint and link to Celiac are encompassed in what some patients call “brain fog”. Those with the disease often report episodes of headaches, depression, moodiness, difficulty concentrating, fumbling to choose words, and/or feeling tired. Those with the disease often report episodes of headaches, depression, moodiness, difficulty concentrating, fumbling to choose words, and/or feeling tired, even though they just go out of bed. Sometimes only when people are diagnosed with Celiac, change to a gluten free diet and then find these symptoms disappear do they realize how celiac inflammation affected the clarity of their neural processing.

                Total gluten elimination is hard to accomplish. While gluten-free foods and restaurants are becoming increasingly common, food is fundamental to most social relationships, and it’s hard to manage social relationships, and it’s hard to manage every interaction without seeming prickly or oversensitive. Moreover, a study found that 20 percent of food labeled “gluten-free” actually do contain gluten. Look at the note written by our Editor with regards to a food listed as gluten free, and after further testing it turned out to contain gluten.

                Many non-food products use gluten as an edible “glue” to bind mixtures together, including some  vitamins, medications, lipsticks and lip balms, even bouillon cubes.

 

 

 

Epilepsy affects 2.7 million, Cystic fibrosis 30,000 people in the United States, 17,000 people are living with hemophilia. Parkinson’s disease affects 1,000,000 individuals.  Ulcerative colitis affects 5,000,00 individuals. Ulcerative colitis affects 5,000 people, Crohn’s disease affects 5000,000 Americans. 2.1 million Americans are living with rheumatoid arthritis. Lupus affects 1.5 million people. Multiple sclerosis affects 400,000 people in the United States. It is mind boggling to realize that Celiac disease numbers are steadily climbing! Though the average length of time it takes for a symptomatic person to be diagnosed with celiac disease in the U.S.A. is now four years. Of that number 21% of patients with a positive anti-endomysial antibody test.

Did you know that one of the first connective tissue diseases that can attach itself to your Celiac Disease is Thyroid Disease.  610,000 women in the U.S.A. experience infertility, yet doctors do not put the two together, Clomiphene for infertility and a strict Celiac diet? Not even thought of in many OB/GYN offices!  This could drastically change the Celiac women desiring a pregnancy.  In our local hospital women in their late twenties/early thirties; have not deduced infertility and Celiac disease as being related in any way, and many obstetrician.gynecologists do not do a Celiac test when testing for infertility; it  just isn’t done; sperm motility testing, and blood tests for the women is the general criteria. Some specialists “think” that being on birth control pills over four or five years can cause reproduction problems and they advice their patients of this finding.

                Did you know that there is a disease, connected in some ways to celiac disease, except it is called “Non-Classical Celiac Disease: Wheat allergy is may appear to be familiar to a wheat allergy because of he need to avoid certain foods, those two conditions are entirely different with different health effects and treatment. Since There are more symptoms for Celiac Disease than just the typical :textbook” symptoms according to an Italian study published in November 2014.  The symptoms most commonly related wish celiac disease are diarrhea and weight loss, but research published in the medical journal BMC Gastroenterology confirm what gastroenterologists have been saying anecdotally that there are now a diverse range of signs of the autoimmune disorder. Wheat allergy is one of the most common food allergies in Canada. A food allergy in your body’s immune system can result in redness and hives, to wheezing, inability to breathe, and loss of consciousness. A severe allergic reaction

An allergic reaction (anaphylaxis) can even prove fatal. People allergic to wheat are allergic to a part of wheat which is not always the gluten part.

Bottom line:  Celiac Disease and Wheat Allergy are very different conditions with different health effects and treatments, but this magazine covers Celiac Disease and Gluten Sensitivity, so I wanted you to be aware that you may not be a Celiac but can have a Wheat Allergy which can be a big problem all on its own!

 

Let’s go over the gluten containing grans and their derivatives once again:-  Wheat, Varieties and derivatives of wheat such as:

Wheatberries, durum, emmer, semolina, spelt, farina, farro, graham, KAMUT (Khorasan wheat)\einkorn wheat, rye, barley, triticale, malt {In various forms including: malted barley, flour, malted milk or milkshakes, malt extract, malt syrup, malt flavoring, malt vinegar

Brewer’s yeast, Wheat Starch – that has not been processed to remove the presence of gluten to below 20 ppm and adhere to the FDA Labeling Law

[Scott Adams]

This is very informative, thanks for sharing.