Celiac Disease - Only 1 In 5000 In N. America...

[StacyA]

I have a 1992 Merck Manual (yes, I need to get a newer one) - and I was curious so I looked up Celiac Sprue, and in there it said the incidence in N. America is only 1 out of every 5000 persons. 1992 is not all that long ago, so we can definately understand why there is such ignorance in the medical community (I mean that in an 'unaware' kind of way, not 'stupid' kind of way - although some stories I hear almost suggest the latter in individual cases...)

I'll have to look in some newer versions of Merck to see how much their numbers change.

But anyway - mentioning to any of your unaware doctors the discrepencies between the thoughts in the 90's and better research now may help lift some of the ignorance.

Doctors may pay attention to the difference between 1 out of 5000 and 1 out of 133 - and hopefully say to her/himself - 'Wow, I guess I better read up on this disease.'

Just an idea.

[bittykitty]

I have a 1992 Merck Manual (yes, I need to get a newer one) - and I was curious so I looked up Celiac Sprue, and in there it said the incidence in N. America is only 1 out of every 5000 persons. 1992 is not all that long ago, so we can definately understand why there is such ignorance in the medical community (I mean that in an 'unaware' kind of way, not 'stupid' kind of way - although some stories I hear almost suggest the latter in individual cases...)

I'll have to look in some newer versions of Merck to see how much their numbers change.

But anyway - mentioning to any of your unaware doctors the discrepencies between the thoughts in the 90's and better research now may help lift some of the ignorance.

Doctors may pay attention to the difference between 1 out of 5000 and 1 out of 133 - and hopefully say to her/himself - 'Wow, I guess I better read up on this disease.'

Just an idea.

Sadly, the ignorance hasn't gotten any better.I had to pull strings and drive 8 hours round trip to get the blood tests done, and have to do it again for a biopsy.My ER doctor in January didn't even know what celiac was..I had to explain it to him.Seems to me like if there isn't a pill that can treat it, it's not worth understanding.

[jackay]

Sadly, the ignorance hasn't gotten any better.I had to pull strings and drive 8 hours round trip to get the blood tests done, and have to do it again for a biopsy.My ER doctor in January didn't even know what celiac was..I had to explain it to him.Seems to me like if there isn't a pill that can treat it, it's not worth understanding.

I'm guessing the numbers are a lot higher than 1 in 133.

It really upsets me that most doctors treat the symptoms and not the causes. I think there are so many people that would be so much healthier if they would just give up gluten.

I never thought I could and here I am gluten free and surviving much better than gluten me.