Dealing with serious GI issues that even have your doctors stumped?
Are you starting to fear food because it seems like everything you eat can "set you off" and send you running to the bathroom?
Are you feeling depressed and anxious because you just can't enjoy your life without having some sort of stomach pain from bloating, to gas and diarrhea that just wrecks your day?
It may be Celiac disease!
Celiac disease (also referred to as celiac sprue) is a serious, genetic autoimmune disorder triggered by consuming a group of proteins that make up gluten (found in wheat, barley, and rye).
Celiac disease is so debilitating because gluten is very prevalent in the modern American diet, even “hidden” in a variety of foods that people assume are gluten-free. When a person with celiac’s consumes even a tiny bit of gluten, their immune system goes into overdrive. This causes their antibodies to damage the delicate parts of their intestinal tract, specifically a part of the small intestine called villi.
When villi become damaged, it’s impossible to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, which is one of the reasons why many people with undiagnosed celiac’s see a massive dip in nutrient levels when they receive their blood work results. They may also seem like “mystery cases” to their primary care doctors when they report eating “well” and even taking a range of supplements.
Over the last 50 years, it’s estimated that cases of celiac disease has increased by 400%. While statistics report that only one out of every 133 Americans has celiac disease, what they do not take into account is that millions (approximately 2 million) who have not been diagnosed (or are often misdiagnosed).
Common symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain, low iron, chronic fatigue, depression, skin rashes, unexplained weight loss, bone loss, lactose intolerance, constant bloating, gas, and other GI issues.
Moreover, many people don't realize that Celiac also triggers a range of neurological symptoms such as irritability, brain fog, depression, and anxiety. In some rare cases, people don’t report these symptoms and still test positive.
Celiac disease is hereditary, meaning that it runs in families from genes that are passed on. People with a first-degree relative with celiac disease (parent, child, sibling) have a 1 in 10 risks of developing celiac disease. Since it is a genetic disorder that greatly impacts your gut health, functional medicine practitioners can assess your risk through DNA testing as well as advanced gut testing.
Even if you suspect you may not be struggling with celiac disease, there are many ways in which you can still react to proteins in wheat that can trigger an autoimmune response.
If celiac disease is not treated, it can increase your risk of developing many other serious illnesses like digestive system cancers, including intestinal and esophageal cancers, as well as lymphoma of the small intestine.
MorningStar Family Health Center serves practice members throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania with options for follow-up telemedicine appointments after an inpatient appointment for practice members outside of those states.