Celiac disease is a condition that compromises the choice to eat certain foods that contain gluten. Prevention always remains the best weapon to manage it.
In Italy the number of celiacs is increasing and for this reason the Government and the Ministry of Health have devised a dissemination program, so that all citizens are more aware and better able to manage the disease.
When it comes to celiac subjectsrefers to people who, for genetic reasons or other causes, they manifest an inflammatory enteropathy; this leads to an abnormal immune reaction to gluten, the protein found in some grains such as wheat, barley or rye.
According to the data from the ISS Epicenterin our country celiacs are around 1% of the total population, which corresponds to approx 600 thousand subjects. It seems that twice as many cases affect women, as confirmed by the numbers of diagnoses: about 150,000 against 63,000.
How is celiac disease recognized and what symptoms does it give?
The illness is inserted between those that are more difficult to diagnose immediatelybecause it gives different symptoms based on the age of onset.
From this point of view, among other things, there is no age more at risk than another: celiac disease can occur at any time of life, both in childhood and in adulthood or in the elderly. This because celiac disease depends on the combination of a genetic predisposition and exposure to gluten.
Generally speaking, we can know some of the more common symptomswhich are a wake-up call:
- In the children growth difficulties, apathy, inappetence, but also abdominal swelling and the production of very pale and malodorous stools may occur;
- in adultsoften appear gastrointestinal disorders (diarrhea or constipation), but also urticaria, dermatitis herpetiformis and stomatitis.
- There are cases of psychological and even neurological problems; in some cases, if the disease is asymptomatic on other fronts, it can give infertility or predisposition to spontaneous abortion.
How is celiac disease treated?
People who experience the above symptoms should contact their doctor for do specific testssince Celiac disease is diagnosed only with an ad hoc test.
It is a blood test that looks for anti-transglutaminase and anti-endomysial antibodies and on a sample of intestinal tissue to verify the degree of impairment of the villi, a factor which determines the symptoms affecting the digestive system.
They don’t exist at the moment treatments, vaccines or drugs; the celiac person will have to eat gluten-free food for life.
We remember that Celiac disease is a chronic disease and the subject needs adequate health care and sometimes also psychological/social support.
That’s why the Ministry of Health has established a National Celiac Registry and also promotes economic support for the purchase of gluten-free foods. There is obviously no shortage of initiatives to facilitate gluten-free eating also in school canteens and workplaces.