Testing And Treatment For Gluten Intolerance Symptoms

What is gluten intolerance? How do I know if I have it? How do you treat it? What is the prognosis? All good questions that I hope to help you answer here. As gluten intolerance becomes better known in the medical community as well as the general population, people are starting to question their symptoms and suffering that doesn't seem to be helped by other treatments. Gluten intolerance has gone under the radar for some time, but that is changing.

Gluten intolerance can be known as Celiac Disease or Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (NCGS). Celiac Disease is an inherited autoimmune disease in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged from eating gluten and other proteins found in wheat, barley, rye, and possibly oats. The villi in the small intestines become flattened. When they are flattened they can no longer function properly. They are responsible for absorbing minerals and nutrients. When they can't function, malnutrition and vitamin deficiency occur. Once that happens, the scene is set for you to develop a whole list of other health concerns, some of them very serious. You can develop anything from gas, bloating, diarrhea, and vomiting, to more serious conditions such as anemia, bone disease, growth delay in children, nosebleeds, seizures, and dental enamel defects and discoloration.

There is a test that can be done if gluten intolerance is suspected. Your physician will do a blood test, which is a complete blood count, (CBC), to see if anemia is present. The test can show an increase in alkaline phosphate which means there may be some bone loss. There may be low cholesterol and albumin levels which could mean malabsorption of nutrients. There could be a mild increase in liver enzymes or detect antibodies. If the blood test comes back with positive results, your physician will then order an upper endoscopy to retrieve a biopsy from the small intestine, otherwise known as the duodenum. Genetic testing is available to see who is at risk of developing Celiac disease. An endoscopy with enteroscopy of lower section of the intestine will show flattening of the villi. After the initial blood work and biopsy a follow up of those tests will be ordered several months after the diagnosis and treatment given. Normal results of those tests will confirm the diagnosis.

There is a treatment for gluten intolerance. Unfortunately, it is a gluten free diet that can be difficult to follow at first. The gluten free diet gives the villi time to heal. You must refrain from consuming any food or beverage that contains wheat, barley, rye or oats. Be sure to read all your labels carefully. Check for hidden grains. Wheat and barley are found abundantly in the American diet. Be sure not to start the diet before you are tested because then the test results will not be accurate. Your physician may prescribe a vitamin and mineral supplement. If you decide to see a dietician to help you get started, be sure you see one who specializes in gluten intolerance and Celiac disease.