celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects the digestive tract. when people with celiac disease eat food with gluten—a type of protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and non gluten free oats—it provokes an immune reaction that causes flattening and damage to the small protrusions (villi) in the small intestine. it is this flattening effect that disrupts the body's ability to absorb nutrients. common side effects include fatigue, weight loss, and nutrient deficiencies. untreated celiac disease can lead to osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes, hypo and hyper thyroid disorders, and many cancers including lymphoma.there are two ways to screen and test for celiac disease, and both need to be considered carefully to ensure you receive an accurate diagnosis. the presence of celiac disease is first screened through a blood test to determine if there are antibodies characteristic to celiac disease present in your system. antibodies are produced as a result of an immune or allergic response to an antigen (such as gluten). therefore, in order to receive an accurate result, you will need to have been consuming gluten prior to your test. if your blood test returns a high level of gluten antibodies, it is likely you could have celiac disease. but, a diagnosis of celiac disease from a medical practitioner is based on the results of an endoscopic biopsy of the small intestine.
andrea and I were first screened as having celiac disease from our blood tests. logically, we eliminated gluten right away from our diets. based on our loose understanding of what gluten was at that time, we both were probably still consuming it one way or another. we each met with our gastroenterologist and scheduled the biopsy about three to four months after going gluten free. when I heard I had to resume eating gluten (approximately two slices of bread/day) for three weeks before the biopsy, I thought it could be a good way to say goodbye to all of my favorite foods….or so I had hoped. I barely made it through a few slices of bread before I was doubled over in pain. I had never felt that sick when eating wheat and gluten before, but a few months living gluten free was enough to help heal my body, and for someone with celiac, the short break is enough to evoke a severe reaction when gluten is eaten again. I continued with the biopsy procedure anyway, and sure enough, I had celiac disease.
I have met many people over the years who say they are almost certain they have celiac disease but cant go through the testing process, or they feel great from removing gluten, and don’t see the need to painfully reintroduce it into their diet, simply for testing purposes. it is a personal choice. however, there are severe health risk factors associated specifically with celiac disease which is one reason why it is a good idea to know if you have it, and to be fully tested and monitored.
testing for celiac disease is also not limited to the initial diagnosis. it is important to be retested every few years to ensure that you are not eating gluten unknowingly. follow-up blood tests can be done annually, and it is recommended that the endoscopic biopsy be preformed every ten years (although follow-up tests do not require you to consume gluten – it is only required at first diagnosis). I began loosing weight about eight months ago and had difficulty in regaining the loss of almost 10 lbs. weight loss is a classic sign of the untreated celiac condition, so after a re-test, I now know that I have been ingesting gluten unknowingly and it has made me sick. celiac disease is often a slow progressing and cumulative disease for most people, and it can be hard to detect that anything is wrong until symptoms become severe, so it is important to monitor your gluten free diet to ensure that you stay healthy. Robyn
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