More Women Suffer from Celiac Disease
September 13, 2009 by Peggy Rowland
Filed under Women's Health
National Celiac Disease Awareness Day, September 13, has arrived just in time. It seems that the disease is becoming much too common.
More women are diagnosed with celiac disease than men, but the number of cases are rising, regardless of sex. According to findings by Mayo Clinic earlier this year, celiac disease is four times more common today than in the 1950s. According to AAFP, women make up around 75% of newly diagnosed cases.
Getting a diagnosis is important. The same study by Mayo Clinic also found that people who didn’t know they were affected by celiac disease were four times more likely to have died in the 45 years of the study than celiac-free patients.
The disease affects one in 100 people. According to Celiac Sprue Association, celiac disease is a genetic disorder in which the consumption of gluten sets off an autoimmune response damaging the small intestine. That damage renders the small intestine unable to absorb nutrients from food.
Some symptoms include abdominal cramping and distention, back pain, constipation, dehydration, diarrhea, tooth enamel defects, night blindness, dry skin, fatigue, weight loss, electrolyte depletion and muscle cramping. Some people with the disease may have no symptoms.
Gluten is everywhere, well almost. Try to eat gluten-free for a week. It’s tricky. Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley and oats. It’s possible to buy or make gluten-free foods, but it takes a little more work. Thankfully, more options are becoming available as awareness spreads.
Celiac disease isn’t curable. If you suffer from the disease, your physician can refer you to a dietitian who can help you make the right food choices. Celiac Sprue Association also has gluten-free diet tips to guide you.
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I’ve been GF for several months now and I definitely notice a difference. I don’t get so many headaches, I’m less congested and oddly enough – the dark circles under my eyes are lightening up.
It can be a challenging diagnosis to hear at first, but there are so many resources out there. It’s possible to cook and eat just as well as before. I can make gluten-free brownies that you’d never guess were GF… There are tons of GF blogs on the web, with lots of tips and recipes for daily life.
Chloe, glad to hear you’re having success with the GF diet. I tried it a few years back. I don’t have CD, but had read that a GF diet is good for endometriosis. I did see an improvement, but wasn’t disciplined enough to stick with it! Perhaps I’ll try it again. I’ve noticed a lot more GF products out there in the last year.