Celiac disease was, until recently, thought to affect only people in the European countries and the Americans. This has been proved to be a misconception, as there have been reports of the disease from virtually every country, barring Africans and those of Japanese or Chinese descent. However, the lack of proper medical care and diagnostic facilities has hampered the detection of the disease for decades in the developing countries.
Although the earlier contention was that the disease affected one in every 10,000 people, recent surveys have established that it may be prevalent in one in every 300 or so.
Celiac Disease - Prevalence in India
In India, many cases have been reported, especially in the North. The difficulty in diagnosing the disease arises because of the wide range of symptoms people report of, and the lack of any symptoms whatsoever in some people. So, it is confusing to the medical practitioners to make the right diagnosis.
An epidemiological study conducted recently concluded that the prevalence of celiac disease in India in the Northern states is roughly around one in 310 people, which is almost equal to the numbers in the Western countries. The disease is more prevalent in the predominantly wheat-consuming states of North India. It is as frequently found in adults as in children, but the reason for the misconception that it is not so, is that most doctors misdiagnose the disease because of varied symptoms the patients report.
Celiac Disease - The Role of Gluten
The gluten in wheat products, barley, and rye reacts adversely with the villi that are tube-like structures lining the intestinal walls and help the body absorb nutrients from foods digested by the intestine. So, when the villi are affected, the body stops receiving nutrients and this results is malnourishment.
In order to improve their health, people with celiac disease should avoid wheat, rye, and barley products and many packaged foods, breads, and pasta. Instead, they can follow a gluten-free diet by adopting rice, soya, quinoa, or other such products as their staple food.
As long as you're careful to avoid gluten, you can lead a healthy life, although the initial intestinal damage suffered before being diagnosed with celiac disease can take even years to heal properly. Although, earlier, oats was considered to be an unfriendly diet for people with celiac disease, recent research has proved that oats, when uncontaminated by wheat during processing, is gluten free and can be eaten.
Celiac Disease - Methods of Diagnosis
Just like the symptoms of celiac disease vary, so does the means of diagnosing the disease.
- Blood Tests: The traditional blood test might not show conclusive results in some patients, and they might need to undergo allergy tests. However, if there is a family history of the disease, it will be easier to diagnose.
- Saliva Screening: Other testing methods like saliva screening have shown better results in diagnosing the disease in children. Most people in a study group for research on celiac disease, who tested positive for CD, suffered fromgastroduodenitis or pepticulcer. If the patient is asymptomatic, then a small intestinal biopsy is the only way to diagnose the disease.
- Intestinal Biopsy: Most doctors have now started performing biopsies in cases that don't indicate the presence of any other disease, and where the symptoms are diarrhea, anemia, and weight loss. So, the number of cases being diagnosed is now reflecting the actual number of people suffering from the disease and not just a perceived few. When such factors are used to screen for the disease, the diagnosis becomes easier, relieving the suffering of the patients.
With the realization that millions may be suffering in ignorance around the world, many in the medical field have started campaigns to raise awareness about the disease. This in turn has led to a marked increase in the number of cases being reported as suffering from the disease.
Contrary to what you might think, even with a gluten-free diet, you need not miss out on the quality of life just because you have to forego one particular food group. Look at it this way - now you are free from the health problems you had been battling against before the diagnosis was made. Ensure that you undergo routine health checkups, so that you can avoid any surprises out of the blue.
