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Last Updated on Saturday, 23 October 2021 12:02

Celiac Disease Is Poorly Diagnosed

CASE STUDY: A Story of Tragic Miscarriages Cured with Dietary Changes

Published in The Lancet, Celiac Disease is "Tricky to find . . . "

Even with attentive medical care and a history of miscarriage Susanna Lohiniemi's Celiac Disease went undiagnosed for more than a decade. 

Her symptoms were flu-like (headache, muscular aches), she was always exhausted, had mild iron deficiency, irregular menstruation, slight hair loss, flatulence and nausea. Her doctors did not suspect Celiac disease.

This was despite her mother being treated successfully for dermatitis herpetiformis (an alternative form of Celiac Disease) by having a gluten-free diet. Her results for the usual blood serum tests were negative so doctors thought her unlikely to be Celiac.

Susanna's account goes on:

"…for a patient with Celiac Disease to be slightly overweight and in good physical condition wasn't typical, they said. I miscarried twice in one year. It happens, they explained."

Susanna was eventually diagnosed via a biopsy ordered by a locum doctor who became curious and reviewed her file. The ensuing treatment of a gluten-free diet brought immediate relief from symptoms (3 weeks) and a whole new life: no longer tired and the headaches disappeared. She went on to have two children via uncomplicated and successful pregnancies.

 

Gluten - the protein with teeth

GLUTEN IS THE BEST KNOWN FOOD TOXIN. There are more than twenty food toxins - but they act in various combinations to make us sick.

Studies confirm the best solution is to avoid them with a LOW TOXIN DIET ... foodintol® LoTox Living

Gluten is called 'the protein with teeth' for good reason. In people with Celiac disease (and the much more common Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity NCGS) - gluten actually attacks the lining of the intestine causing tissue damage. This leads to Leaky Gut Syndrome - and allows infections in: bacteria, viruses and yeasts.

 

Symptoms overlap with other medical conditions

Gluten intolerance causes bloating, flatulence, abdominal cramping and diarrhea. Unfortunately these symptoms in varying combinations can also seem like other diseases - and misdiagnoses are common - as are 'missed' diagnoses - where nothing is diagnosed.

Gluten intolerance - when left unattended - can lead to dozens of auto-immune disorders including rheumatoid arthritis, ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, Hashimoto's thyroiditis and others.

Gluten is found in wheat, rye, barley, oats and some other grains. The solution, for those who are intolerant - is a gluten-free diet, which brings immediate and dramatic relief from symptoms – because it allows the gut to heal.

  • (Could you be gluten-sensitive? Even if you tested negative for Celiac Disease – you could still be gluten intolerant

Learn more with the Free ebook about Food Toxins

 

Much more common than previously thought

About 100,000 Australians have Celiac Disease. But even more have Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS) - which gives a negative result for Celiac tests.

It is estimated that ~ 15% or 1 in 7 people^ has some form of gluten intolerance. In Australia that's more than 3 million people.

Undiagnosed Gluten-sensitive people (some of whom are Celiac) suffer their symptoms chronically or long-term.

  • One direct result is that nutrients like iron are not absorbed properly - so these people have chronically low iron levels (anaemia) all their life

However, the human body is amazing. Even with this continuous stress it still manages to allow us to operate normally. That is - until we get sick from a bad bout of flu or other infection.

Then the long term damage may show up. The most common indicator is low iron levels in the blood or anaemia. That's why many Celiacs and other gluten sensitive people are not diagnosed until later in life. But over time - the body's ability to recover from the constant assault on the gut lining diminishes – and they start to experience symptoms more and more frequently and severely.

  • This is such a waste: unnecessary human suffering - all for the want of a recognition of gluten intolerance - easily addressed for complete recovery with a Gluten-free diet.

 

Difference Between Celiac Disease and Gluten Intolerance

Traditionally Celiac Disease is typified by iron deficiency, weight loss, failure to thrive in children, and gastro-intestinal distress: severe flatulence, nausea, chronic diarrhea, bloating and Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

However some undiagnosed Celiacs have chronic symptoms like fatigue, anaemia, osteoporosis, depression and infertility - none of which is especially suggestive of a disorder of the gut. This is known as Non Celiac Gluten Sensitviity (NCGS) and is much more common than Celiac disease - up to 15% or 1 in 7 people are affected.

Celiac Disease has now been classified to exist as four different types: typical, atypical, latent and potential. Know the difference between Celiac Disease and Gluten intolerance.

 

RESEARCH & REFERENCES

All foodintol® information is based on research from peer-reviewed medical journals