Celiac Disease Awareness Month: October
October 2, 2009 by Marijke Durning, RN
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
Celiac disease, or celiac sprue disease, is becoming more known over the past few years. Whether it’s because it’s becoming more common or it’s being diagnosed more frequently, we don’t know, but we do know that it is more present in Western society today.
What is celiac disease?
Celiac is a genetic disease that makes it impossible for people to digest gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, and rye. There is some debate as to whether it is in oats too.
Celiac disease affects about 1 out of every 133 people in North America, but many – as many as 97% – have not been diagnosed. The disease doesn’t allow you to digest the gluten, which leads to malnutrition and considerably raises your risk of developing stomach cancer.
When someone with celiac disease eats gluten, damage is done to the lining of the colon. Some people say it’s similar to an allergy, but this isn’t an accurate description. Others call it a gluten intolerance – again, not an accurate description. Someone with celiac disease can’t tolerate any gluten whatsoever. Not even the tiniest bit.
It may be surprising to hear that someone with CD can’t tolerate gluten at all, because you may know someone with CD who ate at your home recently and seemed perfectly fine. This is because the damage from CD doesn’t occur right away. The damage builds up over time.
Once the Diagnosis Is Made
Once you’ve been diagnosed with celiac disease, it’s important that you learn about the celiac diet and what you may eat and what you should avoid.
At first, it may seem shocking when you’re confronted with the idea of eating a “celiac diet.” There seems to be so many things you can’t have and, quite honestly, that’s true. But, as people are becoming more aware of CD, companies are becoming more open to making products for their CD consumers and the choices are much more plentiful now than they were just 10 years ago. The important thing for you is to be sure you read all labels and you read them properly.
You can’t outgrow celiac disease, but you can learn how to manage it. For more information, you can visit the following sites:
Canadian Celiac Association (Canada)
Celiac Sprue Association (U.S.)
Coeliac UK (United Kingdom)
Coeliac Association of Australia
Coeliac Society of New Zealand
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Image: StockXchng.com
I have been a Celiac patient for 10 years now. I was an adult when diagnosed. The gluten free diet has been difficult to manage, but it getting better, with more and more products now labeled. In 2007, I was found to have Colorectal Cancer in Stage II, which the doctors beleived was contributed by the Celiac disease.
I speak out as often as possible, about the need to have the colonscopy and get tested for Celiac at the first signs of the disease. Don’t just assume that you may have Cohn’s disease, etc. You may be saving your life!!
Educate yourself and imform others, many have never heard of a gluten free diet.
Thank you,
Cindy