Hi i may suffer from this disease. Until recently i thought i just had to live with a system like this. What doctor around this area helps in situations like this? Who do you all go to? Thanks i need to be tested.

H

Do you know what auto-immune is? It is when your body attacks itself because it sees it as a foriegn substance. When food does not digest it is considered a foriegn substance and the body sends out antibodies. Substances containing gluten are from wheat, rye and barley.These are highly irritating and are like eating a pickerbush. They not only scratch and irritate the lining of the intestines but they also sit and rot and are difficult to pass. With continued irritation the intestines become overly sensitive and raw. Particles can also plug the lining of the villi or produce holes. Large particles that enter the bloodstream undigested can sit in the body and accumalate in the joints and in the brain unable to be removed. Also as the villi is damaged they can no longer absorb other nutrients causing other problems such as heart disease, diabetes, depression, etc.. But now consider this- lactose intolerance. Lactose intolerance is inability to digest milk products due to lack of digestive enzymes. But...add acidipholous and what happens? You can now use dairy products with no swelling, pain,or other problems. Milk has to be removed from the diet until the intestines heal first but then with acidipholous it can be added back unless an allergy has developed. Even then people can outgrow allergies. As for the intestinal biopsy, it shows damage has occured FROM eating gluten. It does not show that damage WILL occur. Celiacs can only be diagnosed after damage has occurred . If a person had the proper enzymes damage would never occur in the first place. The blood test shows how your body will and has responded to undigested particles but it will do that to ANY undigested food. Strict avoidance is one solution because some people simply cannot produce the digestive enzymes but it is not the only solution. Alot of people do not develop intolerances right away and that may be simply that the damage has not showed up yet and the disease is considered progressive. But it also can be due to the fact that there bodies lack proper digestive enzymes due to being born that way, malabsorption, or improper diet. It is true though that sometimes damage cannot be reversed and continued exposure only adds to the problem. But our bodies can and do heal. Digestive enzymes ARE an alternative .This is an idea that is highly debated i agree but so is any natural remedy compared to any traditional remedy. If a person is not a dr they are considered completely clueless. Take for example autism. It can be revesred through chelation therapy if it is caught early. The damage is a result of toxic metals accumalating in the brain. If chelated, the metals are removed and brain function returns. But that is only if extensive damage hasnt occured from long term exposure. Most people consider that a hoax because it is not backed by popular opinion but yet logical evidence proves otherwise. Its something to consider.

For the mother feeding her son gluten, please know that allowing your son to eat gluten, even a small amount, will increase his risk of cancer and many other health problems, studies have shown that gluten in celiacs may be associated with decreased brian function and can affect other organs in the body.

I have a comment about the post from a mom of a celiac child. If her son has been biopsy-diagnosed with celiac disease, he should never eat gluten no matter what enzymes are added to his diet. Gluten destroys the lining of the intestine and this will, in turn, trigger auto-immune reactions that can lead eventually to very serious health problems. People with celiac disease must strictly avoid gluten for the rest of their lives. Period.

My adult daughter was having problems and it finaly came down to the questions of Celiac. Once diagnosed there are a lot of eating habits to change. One of a few places around who made a difference for us is the Border Grill in Marquette. Mention Celiacs to them and they will do what they can to help ... and it is a lot. They even knew what we were talking about and cared. Thank you Border Grill. And thank you WLUC for the report.

Celiacs disease IS very difficult to deal with. It is not an easy thing to just stop eating gluten. Gluten is in such a large variety of products. Fortunately there are more and more options becoming available recently but it is still challenging. The baked goods are complicated (and not very tasty) and there are premade mixes but they are expensive($5 for a bread mix). Also there is the fact that alot of people cannot tolerate milk as well. My son has celiacs and is also allergic and intolerant to many other things such as soy, eggs, milk, and others. One thing to consider is what can cause food intolerance(there are other factors also). Food intolerance is the inibility to digest food properly or not at all due to lack of digestive enzymes. Competely avoiding gluten is one solution but adding digestive enzymes is another alternative such as papian. It digests everything but milk. Unfortunately a person can develop allergies from an intolerance. When large undigested food particles get into the bloodstream through the intestines, the body doesnt recocnize it an sends out antibodies causing allergic reaction. Also after repeated exposure to undigested food the intestines become irritated and need time to heal. Another thing to consider is that cutting out all gluten can make it difficult to meet ones nutritional needs. There is rice, beans, and corn but it is a challange for small children with picky appetites. School lunchs are not easy. One thing that is beneficial is that there are support groups now who offer help. But my point is that most people focus on just avoiding gluten instead of adding digestive enzymes. My son had all the symptoms noted in the article but now is doing much better. He does eat some gluten but with the papian he no longer gets bloating, constipation, diahrea, pain, joint swelling,weight loss, etc.. He is doing much better. obviously i am not a doctor but celiacs is difficult to diagnose and treat and papian is something to check out. Alot of older people do develop this condition due to age and their bodies not working as well anymore. It can also be caused by poor nutrition from improper diet. Also overuse of antibiotics can cause damage to the digetsive tract resulting in malabsorption which can mimic celiacs. Food allergies and intolerances are EXTREMELY overwhelming at first but it gets easier. One more thing that i have found is that peppermint and cinnamon help stop cramping and pain and do help ease digestion. Anyways thank you for the article since celiacs is considered a rare disease that is becoming more common.