Celiacs+Disease+-+The+Hidden+Giant

Asthma, ADD and failure to thrive are the most common symptoms of Celiac Disease in children
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WHAT IS CELIAC DISEASE? ** Celiac disease is probably the most common autoimmune disease in America. It is inherited, and is frequent in persons of European, Middle Eastern, and Western Hemisphere descent, but less common in those of lower African or East Asian lineage. One in every 105 persons in the US has celiac disease. Most do not know that they have it. The disease is triggered by eating “gluten”, which is the protein found in wheat, barley, or rye. Gluten activates the immune system to attack the small intestines, skin, bones, and other organs. 34 % of the people who have the disease who continue to eat gluten will develop another autoimmune disease, especially lupus, rheumatoid arthritis, insulin-dependant diabetes, thyroid disease, Sjogren’s syndrome, or other diseases such as osteoporosis, birth defects, and miscarriages during pregnancy. One-third of celiac persons are diagnosed with irritable bowel or Crohn’s disease. In the U.S. on the average, people seek medical help for over 10 years before being correctly diagnosed. Gluten is a powerful cancer-causing substance for persons with celiac disease. Five percent of celiac persons who continue to eat gluten will develop non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma or other cancer of the digestive tract. There is evidence that diseases associated with celiac disease can be prevented if the correct diagnosis of celiac disease is made and a gluten-free diet begun before the associated disease occurs. After other autoimmune diseases begin, they cannot be cured by the diet, but symptoms may be improved.  Only 1 in 33 with the disease in the U.S. know that they have the disease. Most people with the disease do not have specific symptoms that would lead a doctor to test them for the disease. If symptoms are present, they range widely from diarrhea, aching, fatigue, arthritis, allergies, anemia, epilepsy, miscarriages, birth defects, type 1 diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis, dry eyes, migraine headaches, or skin rash. Asthma, ADD, and failure to thrive are common in children. Many persons with celiac disease have no symptoms, but still develop the associated diseases. When a correct diagnosis is made, and a strict gluten-free diet is followed, the risk of these diseases decreases in 3 – 5 years to that of persons without the disease. Parents, brothers, sisters, and children of persons with celiac disease must be tested, even though they have no symptoms. = Preventing these Diseases Requires Testing  = // Symptoms are not reliable for diagnosis //. There are very specific and sensitive blood tests called **IgA Anti-transglutaminase and IgA & IgG Anti-gliadin** A**ntibodies** (Quest Diagnostics #15981 or LabCorp # 165126) for minimal testing. The best testing is called Celiac Disease Panel. Three tests in all. www.celiac.org www.northtexasgig.org
 * These associated diseases are preventable **.
 * For more information ** [|www.celiaccenter.org]  w ww.celiacdiseasecenter.columbia.edu  [|www.gluten.net]

http://www.glutenfreemd.com/wheat_allergy.htm
 * //Wheat allergies and gluten intolerance is not the same as Celiac Disease://**

I have seen many students who suffer with allergies, asthma, and ADD go through a myriad of allergy testing, yet never be tested for celiac disease. The associated diseases that follow celiac disease are debilitating, life altering and even life threatening. If I had a child suffering from ADD, A celiac disease test would be in order before administering pharmaceutical drugs to control behavior. I have worked with a student who could not function in a classroom setting and could not write legibly change completely to have the best, most beautiful handwriting in the class and produce excellent work. The only change for him was the elimination of gluten from his diet.

On a personal note, I have seen the devastation of this disease when left undiagnosed in my family. As it is inherited, I have seen my mom, her siblings and my siblings suffer lifelong from the disease (chronic intestinal difficulties), ADD, and its progression into other autoimmune diseases, including seizures, Type 1 Diabetes, hypothyroid disease, fibromyalgia, migraines, arthritus and cancer. It is mind boggling, the cost and devastation brought on by this disease that could have been eliminated simply by changing one's diet.