The celiac disease It is a disease that affects genetically predisposed people. In them, the gluten present in certain flours triggers an altered immunological reaction that damages the mucosa of the small intestine, causing malabsorption of nutrients.
As he explains to us Doctor Marta Tejedorhead of the Digestive System Service at the Infanta Elena University Hospital in Madrid and member of the FEADon the occasion of International Celiac Day:
“It affects 1 in 100 people in our country and, apart from the fact that it can appear at any time in life, it is chronic.” “We can say that It is not very frequent as long as we talk about diagnosed cases, which is why it is known as the iceberg disease.”
Gluten is present in cereals such as wheat, barley or oats / Freepik
What are the symptoms of celiac disease?
The symptoms of this disease are non-specific, variable and sometimes even non-existent. The most common symptoms are:
Abdominal distension Abdominal pain Delayed growth in children Chronic diarrhea
In the event that the damage to the intestinal mucosa is significant, the disease will occur with nutritional deficiencies. Also “there may be atypical symptoms, such as depression or irritability and changes in behavior,” the doctor emphasizes.
In other cases, people who do not present clear and obvious symptoms may present a deficiency of vitamins and minerals, “among which iron deficiency anemia is the most common” along with “problems related to calcium absorption” and, in In more serious cases, “there may even be an alteration of the liver profile.”
Neprosin, the molecule that opens hope for treating celiac disease with a pill / Freepik
Celiac disease can be confused with other diseases
All of this makes its symptoms easily confused and can overlap with other pathologies, including:
Irritable bowel syndrome (GIVE). It is a chronic, but benign pathology. Although those who suffer from it, between 10 and 15% of the population, have their quality of life greatly affected. This pathology is the second cause of work absenteeism. Digestive system specialists make it clear that currently, “there is no single, ideal or curative treatment for irritable bowel syndrome.” Nor miraculous products or therapies.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (EII). The main characteristic of this disease is intestinal inflammation, which is “caused by immunological, genetic and environmental factors.”
Diagnosis of celiac disease
He Diagnosing celiac disease is “relatively simple” because, at first, it is based on performing a serological test for anti-transglutaminase antibodies. Furthermore, it should be noted that “these tests have a sensitivity and specificity rate of 98%.”
Therefore, if the result is negative, “we can reasonably rule out having the disease” and more tests are not usually performed because “it is not usual to test negative in the serological test and positive for celiac disease in other tests,” however, “ It will always depend on the doctor’s considerations,” highlights Dr. Tejedor.
Irritable bowel syndrome affects quality of life almost as many people as migraine / Photo Pexels
On the contrary, if the serological test is positive, more tests are performed for confirmation, “as is the case with the intestinal biopsy”, although “with the serological test we already obtain very reliable initial information.”
Furthermore, “the advantages it presents is that it is simple, easy to practice and it can be done regardless of the patient’s age,” he says.
Treatment: foods to avoid if you are celiac
”The only definitive treatment for celiac disease is strict gluten-free diet for life”. Furthermore, apart from this, “it is important to balance the diet with all those foods that are inherently gluten-free such as vegetables, fruits, meats, etc.”
And “in the case of processed foods, we must always make sure that the packaging has the barred spike symbol,” since these are gluten-free foods certified by the Federation of Celiac Associations of Spain (FACE).
In this sense, “we must be careful with cross contamination” and Do not share utensils such as toasters or pans that have been used to cook gluten-containing products.Always wash kitchen utensils and store gluten-free products separately from the rest.
Both adherence to the diet and being careful with cross contamination “are very important because not doing this well in the long term can lead to sustained inflammation of the intestine and cause very negative consequences.”