Coeliac Disease and Managing It

Coeliac disease is considered an autoimmune disease which causes damage to the small intestine whenever any amount of gluten is ingested by a person with the Coeliac condition. Gluten is the protein found in barley, rye, wheat and possibly oats.

Due to the nature of this disease, patients often absorb their food and nutrients ineffectively. The results of these nutrients not being absorbed correctly, the patients will present with vitamin, minerals and other deficiencies not normally found in a healthy person.

Coeliac disease is genetic in nature. Roughly one in ten family members may have the disease also. It has also been found to be on the common side of diseases. This disease has been found in approximately one in one hundred Australians. Coeliac disease is more common in Caucasian people. Even with the numbers that are now known, the medical profession feels that this disease is under diagnosed.

There are a variety of symptoms that may be caused by this disease. Some patients may have many serious symptoms whilst the next individual will not exhibit any of the symptoms. Some of the symptoms to be on the lookout for include diarrhea, flatulence, nausea, abdominal pain and sometimes loss of weight. A tiredness and weakness are also symptoms and are caused by the lack of iron and folic acid being absorbed properly by the body and resulting in anemia in some cases. Other less common symptoms of this disease is ulcerations of the mouth and recurring miscarriages and infertility in adults.

If you or your doctor suspects Coeliac disease, your physician will take a complete and thorough history. Upon completion of the history, you doctor will also do a physical examination of you. After the exam is completed, your doctor may send you out for blood work that is available for screening of Coeliac disease. If this blood work confirms the diagnosis, most likely your family doctor will refer you to a gastroenterologist who specializes in this type of disease. Your new doctor will need to further confirm that they are indeed dealing with this disease. The way that a definitive answer can be reached is by doing a biopsy of the intestine and sending it to a pathologist for examination. The procedure for taking the biopsy is quite simple and painless to the patient.

Once diagnosed, the patient is put on a strict gluten-free diet. This is a life long diet plan because this disease will never go away. All patients should consult with a dietician until they completely understand a gluten-free diet and what gluten products are and where they can be hidden in some foods.

You should also notify your pharmacist that you have Coeliac disease since some prescription medications and over the counter medications may contain gluten.

You will have to be monitored for the rest of your life by your physician. The biopsy you had in the beginning should be repeated after 12 months to detect whether your disease is stationary or progressing. Your doctor will also want to do periodic blood test such as a CBC, Iron, Vitamin B-12, folic acid test, thyroid function test, calcium, phosphate vitamin D, zinc, PTH test and a liver function test. These tests are needed to make sure your organs and blood are within an acceptable range.

It is also recommended that a bone density test be performed at the time of diagnosis and periodically throughout the years.

If the patient does not follow the proper diet, there are dire consequences medically speaking, such as the risk of cancer of the bowel, infertility, osteoporosis and chronic ill health.