1. What is the difference between celiac disease and an allergy to wheat and other grains?
Allergies involve hypersensitivity reactions and the creation of specific IgE (Immunoglobulin E) antibodies to grains such as wheat and rye. These antibodies may cause some symptoms similar to those caused by celiac disease, but they will only do so for a short time after you eat the food that you are allergic to. The reaction may be mild or severe, but it is limited and does not cause damage to the lining of your intestine the way that celiac disease does. If you feel that you may have a wheat or other grain allergy, talk to your doctor. He can test you for these specific IgE antibodies.
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2. Can you outgrow or desensitize yourself to celiac disease?
No. Celiac disease does not go away. Once you have been diagnosed with celiac disease, you will need to follow a gluten-free diet for life. If you start eating gluten again, you will again damage the lining of your intestines; it just may take awhile for the symptoms to come back.
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3. Do I need to follow a gluten-free diet if I have been diagnosed with celiac disease but have never had any symptoms?
If you do have asymptomatic celiac disease, it is recommended that you follow a gluten-free diet. You will still have damaged villi in your intestines and you may have malabsorption problems that are causing silent conditions such as
osteoporosis. If you have doubts about the accuracy of your diagnosis, you may want to work with your doctor to verify the findings.
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4. Can I have oats in my diet?
This is somewhat controversial. Some experts feel that oats should be avoided by those with celiac disease while others believe that most patients can tolerate small amounts of it. They feel that the proteins found in the oats are not contributing significantly to the celiac disease. This is something you should discuss with your doctor and a nutritionist.
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5. How do I know what to eat and where can I get help?
Your doctor will have some information for you on celiac disease. You can also visit the
links listed with this article for more information and for organizations that lead to support groups. Since this is a fairly common (if underdiagnosed) disease found throughout the world, there is help available.
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6. Are there other ways to test for celiac disease?
Genetic tests that look for the markers that are strongly associated with celiac disease have recently become available. These tests look for the
Human Leukocyte Antigen (HLA) markers DQ2 and DQ8. A positive result does not diagnose celiac disease since about 30% of the general population also carry these markers but do not have the disease. A positive result requires confirmation. However, a negative result can rule out celiac disease in those individuals for whom results of other tests, including biopsy, are unclear. These tests are most useful for family members of individuals with the disease that fall into a high risk category and for those with other diagnostic test results that are inconclusive.
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