Fiction: It is easy to recognize Celiac Disease
Fact: The symptoms of Celiac Disease can vary from person to person, and can show up at any age. Symptoms are often vague and nonspecific.There are 256 symptoms and related conditions that indicate a patient may have celiac disease. A significant number of people with Celiac disease exhibit no symptoms at all.
Fiction: Celiac disease is simply a gastrointestinal disease that causes chronic diarrhea
Fact: Gastrointestinal symptoms may be totally lacking in a patient with celiac disease. Some of the common symptoms can include: bloating, headaches, poor weight gain, constipation, fatigue, diarrhea, discolored teeth, skin rash, infertility, delayed growth and depression.
Fiction: Celiac Disease is a childhood disease
Fact: Celiac disease is an inherited condition. Symptoms may develop at any age. A recent study in Finland found that celiac disease was actually more common among the elderly.
Fiction: You can outgrow Celiac disease
Fact: Celiac Disease is a life-long disease. The only known treatment is a gluten-free diet for life.
Fiction: It is wise to try a gluten-free diet to see if you may have Celiac Disease.
Fact: You should not attempt a gluten-free diet until the diagnosis has been made. A trial GF diet may interfere with the interpretation of the tests and render them inconclusive and cause a delay in diagnosis
Fiction: It is ok for a person who has been diagnosed with Celiac disease to ingest a small amount of gluten once in a while.
Fact: Treatment for Celiac disease is a strict gluten-free diet. While it may appear that small amounts of gluten is tolerated, damage is still being done to the intestinal lining. Zero tolerance is the only acceptable approach.
Fiction: Once I start a gluten-free lifestyle I am cured of Celiac disease and need no further medical or dietary supervision.
Fact: Follow up and supervision is necessary to prevent possible complications such as anemia, osteoporosis and nutritional deficiencies.
