Celiac Disease Treatment Specialist Q&A

Many of our patients that we see don’t even know they have celiac disease. To diagnosis celiac disease, we have our patients go through two separate blood tests:

– Serology testing
Serology testing looks for any antibodies in your bloodstream. Elevated levels of certain antibody proteins may indicate an immune reaction to gluten.

– Genetic testing
Human leukocyte antigens help to rule out celiac disease with our patients.

It is very important that you get tested if you think you may have celiac disease, especially before moving into a gluten-free diet. Eliminating gluten from your diet completely may make the results of your blood tests appear normal.

If your blood tests come back indicating you may have celiac disease, our doctors will likely order one or more of these tests:

– Endoscopy
Endoscopy uses a long tube with a tiny camera that is submitted through your mouth and then passed down your throat. The camera is able to show our doctors a view of your small intestine and have the option of taking a small tissue sample to analyze further for damage to the villi.

– Capsule endoscopy
Capsule endoscopy uses a tiny wireless camera to take pictures of your entire small intestine once ingested. The camera is put into a vitamin-sized capsule, which then you would swallow. As the capsule travels through your digestive tract, the camera will take pictures that are then transmitted to a recorder for your doctor to review.

Celiac disease is also known as celiac sprue or gluten-sensitivity enteropathy, which is an immune reaction to eating gluten.

If you have celiac disease, having gluten in your diet can trigger an immune response in your small intestine and then over time, the reaction can damage your small intestine’s lining and prevent it from absorbing many nutrients.

This intestinal damage often causes diarrhea, fatigue, weight loss, bloating and anemia which can lead to serious complications.

The signs and symptoms you should be on the lookout for when it comes to celiac disease includes:

– Diarrhea
– Fatigue
– Weight loss
– Bloating and/or gas
– Abdominal pain
– Nausea and vomiting
– Constipation

Many of our patients however have celiac disease and show signs and symptoms unrelated to the digestive system, these may include:

– Anemia
– Loss in bone density
– Softening of the bone
– Itchy, blistery or a skin rash
– Mouth ulcers
– Headaches and fatigue
– Nervous system injury
– Joint pain
– Reduced functioning of the spleen

Children show different signs and symptoms if they are suffering from celiac disease, these include

– Nausea and vomiting
– Chronic diarrhea
– Swollen belly
– Constipation
– Gas
– Pale and/or foul-smelling stool

They also show the inability to absorb any nutrients which can result in:

– Failure to thrive for infants
– Damage to their tooth enamel
– Weight loss
– Anemia
– Irritability
– Short stature
– Delayed puberty
– Neurological disorders (ADHD, Learning disabilities, headaches, lack of muscle coordination and/or seizures)

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease, and many around the world go undiagnosed and are at extremely high risk of long-term health complications due to this.

If you do not seek out treatment for celiac disease, it can increase your risk of developing certain types of digestive system cancers. One of them being lymphoma of the small intestine, which is a rare type of cancer but is much more common in people with celiac disease.

If you are showing signs and symptoms of celiac disease, call us today to start your diagnosis journey and on a path to better health. We serve patients from Oak Park IL, River Forest IL, Cicero IL, River Grove IL, Forest Park IL, Berwyn IL, Melrose Park IL and Broadview IL.