Gluten Sensitivity Can Cause Celiac Disease, Here's How It Is Diagnosed and Treated

Celiac disease is a sensitivity which you can have because of eating gluten rich food. This is an immune reaction which takes place when your body comes in contact with a gluten substance like wheat, barley or rye etc. In case of celiac disease, the person gets triggered as soon as he eats something made from gluten that reacts in his small intestine. Celiac disease damages the lining of small intestine with time and thus causes diarrhoea as well. There are some treatment options available for this disease. Today, we will look at diagnosis and treatment methods available to treat celiac disease.

Diagnosis of Celiac Disease

Dr. Sumeet Nigam, General Physician from Sahara Hospital, Lucknow explains about the diagnosis and treatment methods for celiac disease. He says sometimes it gets difficult to predict that you have celiac disease; hence it becomes important to get yourself diagnosed for it if you have any symptoms related to it. There are two testing methods for diagnosis.

1. Serology testing- this is a test that is done to look for any anti-bodies that are present in your blood. This is done because elevate levels of particular antibodies proteins can be harmful for health as it indicates reaction of gluten. 

2. Genetic Testing- This testing is done to determine human leukocyte antigens. If these antigens are found in your body, then it can rule out the chances of you having celiac disease. HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8 are two antigens used in this process.

If these tests show positive response, then it means that you might have celiac disease. For confirming the results, the doctor takes some other tests to find out more about your disease and how has it affected your body. It is important to be tested for celiac disease before trying a gluten-free diet. Eliminating gluten from your diet may also be a reason for test to show negative results.

3. Endoscopy- This is a widely used tool to find out about the affect going on inside your body. Endoscopy is done with the use of a endoscope which is attached to a camera and light. This long tube like tool goes inside your body through your mouth to the intestine. It helps to check the damage happened in the small intestine and doctor takes out a sample tissue from the small intestine to further analyse the damage to the villi.

4. Capsule Endoscopy- This test is done with help of a tiny wireless camera which is responsible to take pictures of your small intestine. This is sent through the mouth in form of a capsule which you can swallow. This capsule travels through your digestive tract and transmits the photos. This process is done to examine the problem occurring in celiac disease. 

Treatment Options for Celiac Disease

1. Go Gluten Free

First and foremost thing to do to reduce the problem of this disease is to go gluten-free. Gluten free diet is the only way you will be able to manage celiac disease. Here are some gluten-rich foods you must avoid.

• Malt
• Rye
• Barley
• Bulgur
• Graham flour
• Semolina
• Triticale

A dietician can help you plan your diet accordingly and help you with alternative diet options that are healthier for you in this condition. You also need to avoid food that are made up of gluten or have even slight amount of gluten in them. This can cancel out your majority of food options but is good for your health. Gluten can be present in medications, food items etc like-

• Over the counter medications
• Food starch and preservatives
• Vitamin and mineral supplements
• Lipstick products
• Toothpaste and mouthwash
• Wafers
• Herbal or nutritional supplements
• Play dough

Also Read- Fasting Guide: Know What To Eat and Avoid From Nutritionist

2. Vitamin and Mineral Supplements

If there is a serious nutrition deficiency in your body, then dietician consulting with your doctor may help you take some supplements that improve your cause. These supplements may have these ingredients that are beneficial for your health. 

• Zinc
• Vitamin K, Vitamin D and Vitamin B-12
• Copper
• Folate
• Iron

All of these are usually taken in the pill form so that is more effective and targets digestive tract. It might also be given in form of injection if the condition of patient is severe and his digestive tract is unable to absorb these minerals.

Also Read- Having Smelly Armpits? Know The Causes, Treatment And Prevention Tips From Expert

3. Medications to Control Intestinal Inflammation

Medications are given to the patient if there is evident and severe damage to his small intestine. In this condition most of the dietary support does not help because the intestine is unable to absorb the nutritional contents from the diet. The inflammation caused in the small intestine because of celiac disease is controlled by steroids that aid inflammation and symptoms of celiac disease. Other medical drugs that might be given are azathioprine and budesonide.

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