My Gluten-free life
Today I decided to write about Celiac’s disease. Sometime ago I bought a book called ‘Is wheat killing you?’ By one Ishi Khosla - an Indian writer. After reading it, I felt like writing what I understood by the term Celiac’s Disease. I hope it’ll help some of us, because almost 90% of us do not know about Celiac’s Disease.
Celiac’s disease is a lifelong condition which is genetically predisposed and requires the consumption of gluten to manifest itself. It’s an autoimmune disease and often remains undiagnosed in 97% of cases. It is also hereditary. Celiac disease is a permanent condition that damages the lining of the small intestines. This limits the absorption of nutrients, particularly iron, folate, calcium and vitamin D. Being autoimmune in nature, failure to recognise Celiac disease in time, can lead to serious complications, including cancer.
What happens “in”Celiac disease?
When a celiac patient consumes food containing gluten, the intestine responds to the food as if it were a foreign body and produces an immune reaction causing inflammatory damage to the villi. This is in turn leads to the shortening or blunting and flattening of the villi, thus impairing their ability to absorb nutrients. This is referred to as villous atrophy. Celiac disease can therefore, be referred to as a sleep, function, and mood often occurs before reduction in pain.
“PainTracker provides a richer picture of patients’ responses to chronic pain treatments than the 0-10 pain rating scale,” said co-author Mark Sullivan, UW malabsorption syndrome.
When can it start?
Celiac disease can begin at any age from six months to ninety-plus years.
Celiac Disease, Gluten Intolerance and Gluten Sensitivity.
Gluten Intolerance is always used to describe Celiac’s disease, but it is entirely incorrect. You may be gluten intolerant but not have Celiac’s disease. On the other hand all those who have Celiac’s disease are gluten intolerant. A person who develops symptoms on eating gluten and is relieved by removing gluten from the diet can be called Gluten Intolerant. Gluten Sensitivity also refers to the gastrointestinal symptoms with or without celiac disease.
Gluten Intolerant and Gluten Sensitive individuals should have biopsy performed before going off gluten! Celiac disease is a serious medical condition that should not be self diagnosed. Celiac disease can also be called: Celiac sprue, Gluten sensitive enteropathy and Gluten induced enteropathy.
Symptoms of Celiac’s Disease include: short stature, Weight loss, Bruising, Anorexia, Diarrhoea and constipation, Lactose intolerance, Nausea, vomiting, Depression, Anxiety, Epilepsy, professor of psychiatry.
David Tauben, UW chief of the pain medicine and a co-author of the paper, said the tool has “dramatically transformed” his ability to properly assess, treat, and manage chronic pain. Headaches, Anaemia, Folic acid and iron deficiency, Infertility, Brittle bones, Bone pain, Cramps, Dermatitis herpetiformis.
Types of Celiac Disease: Typical Celiac Disease, Atypical Celiac Disease, Silent Celiac Disease, Potential Celiac Disease, Latent Celiac Disease, Transient gluten intolerance, Dermatitis herpetiformis.
What happens when I consume Gluten. If or when I eat a product containing gluten, I may experience abdominal pains, bone pains and headache. Sometimes I don’t experience anything but that doesn’t mean it’s not damaging my small intestines. Going on and off a gluten-free diet could also lead to serious complications such as bone loss, anaemia, vitamin deficiencies or gastrointestinal cancer, especially lymphomas. Coping socially on a glutenfree diet. I share my condition with family and friends. I carry my food out, sometimes.
And I don’t feel sorry for my self. I’m not afraid to eat out. When I’m eating at a friend’s house, i eat before I go, because they might be serving gluten based food. Sometimes I ask them - people that won’t get offended - what they’re planning to serve so as to avoid putting them through unnecessary stress.
I’m also planning on opening a foundation with a very good friend Maryam Bature. Celiac Disease Foundation Nigeria, In shaa Allah. The role we will play will include creating awareness about Celiac Disease; Encouraging hotels and restaurants to create gluten-free menus, raise funds for research on Celiac Disease, promote meetings and produce videos, journal and other informative material, including brochures, pamphlets, leaflets, posters, etc.
We will also give advice to patients on a gluten-free diet. We will discuss Celiac Disease and related conditions among patients and public, health professionals, schools and the food industry. Organising forums.and presenting case studies as well as lectures, seminars, and holding special events including food festivals to highlight the plight of Celiacs disease patiennits. Associating with other institutions nationally and globally that is engaged in similar activities to make life easier for Celiac Disease patients. We will also encourage research into identifying alternative gluten-free grains from different parts of the world and marking every December 4th as Celiac Day and Dec 4-10 as Celiac Week.