How To Manage Coeliac Disease

How will you find out whether you suffer from allergies or coeliac disease?  There are always symptoms present that indicate that you might have a problem.  These range from lower abdominal pain, bloating, headaches and lethargy.  Have you ever felt bloated after eating too much bread, pizza or pasta?

If these symptoms do not go away then you should not dismiss them as a case of holiday tummy or stomach bug.  You can either have yourself tested by a medical practitioner or you can start to medicate yourself by going on an elimination diet.

If you stick to the first option your doctor will do a blood test.  If a large amount of gluten antibodies are present, your physician will follow the findings up by sending you for a biopsy.  So you can see that it is not an easy condition to diagnose as there are other bowel afflictions that present similar symptoms.

An elimination diet is exactly what it says.  In this diet foodstuffs are taken away that usually trigger allergic reactions or intolerances.  These include wheat and dairy products.  However, some other foods such acidic fruits are also able to cause problems.

Every week you should take away another food group.  A detailed record must be kept as to what foods have been consumed.  By the gradual withdrawal of foods it is easier to establish which ingredients are responsible for your symptoms.

There are certain things that you can do if it transpires that wheat, or more precisely, the gluten part of this grain, is a problem.  You can substitute products that contain this ingredient with gluten free foods.  If you are partial to a glass of cold ale on a hot day, you can still have it, but you must choose a gluten free beer.

Unfortunately there is no medical cure for coeliac disease.  This is an auto-immune condition which is often inherited from your family somewhere down the line.  Auto-immune is a term that means that your body will attack certain parts of your organs as if they are an enemy and seek to destroy it.  In the case of coeliac disease the fine little hairs called villi in the lower intestine are ultimately destroyed. 

These supply the blood stream with nutrients from the food you eat.  No wonder you will start to feel unwell and under nourished.  However, all is not lost as if you strictly adhere to a gluten free diet the villi can be repaired, leaving you to lead a perfectly normal life.

As you can see, the sooner you seek medical assistance for a diagnosis or eliminate foods from your diet, the less damage will be done to your body.  If you leave the condition going on for too long, your condition may become chronic.

You will find all kinds of gluten free produce on the internet.  Many retailers have realised that there is a real need for these foodstuffs as more and more people are being diagnosed.