Celiac Disease is an inherited autoimmune disease that affects 1 in 100 people in the world. Approximately 97% of people who have Celiac Disease do not know they have it. When Celiac Disease is left untreated, it can put the sufferer at risk for osteoporosis, infertility, cancer, and even death.
What happens when someone with Celiac Disease ingests gluten?
Gluten, a protein that is found in wheat, barley, rye, and most oats, triggers an immune response when it is ingested into the body. The body begins to attack itself, resulting in malabsorption of nutrients (gluten kills the villi in the small intestine. Villi are responsible for absorbing nutrients). This brings about symptoms of diarrhea, pain, and more than 300 other symptoms associated with Celiac Disease. Symptoms vary from person to person, and they vary in severity.
While there is no cure for this disease, it can be treated by a life-long, strict adherence to a gluten free diet.
You may be thinking, "I see gluten free food all the time. How hard can it be?" You'd be surprised. While there are more gluten free options than ever before, it doesn't mean that all options are safe for Celiacs. There are a lot of sneaky companies out there that put harmful ingredients in GF food, causing the sufferer to relapse in their symptoms. Eating out is even worse. A story broke out, stating that many GF options at restaurants actually have gluten in them.
Celiac Disease is much more severe than any intolerance or allergy to wheat and gluten. It's an actual disease. People with Celiac Disease have actually died from having Celiac Disease. Joe C (Kid Rock's rapper friend) died from Celiac Disease in the early 2000s. My grandmother (diagnosed in the 1980s) died from both dementia and Celiac Disease in 2007.
Why do I care so much about Celiac Disease?
I was diagnosed with it over 12 years ago. I had gotten very sick in the months leading up to the diagnosis. The doctor did a blood test and I tested positive for the disease. Following the diagnosis, I went in for a intestinal biopsy. Again, I tested positive for the disease. It was official, I had Celiac Disease, just like my grandmother. I was diagnosed before the gluten free craze started and no one knew anything about Celiac Disease or gluten free food. Dating was tough, going out with friends was tough, and I cried every time I went to the grocery store.
Despite how much is available, gluten free-wise, it is still a slap in the face when I look at the ingredients of so-called gluten free foods, and see "Contains: wheat, barley, gluten, etc." A law was passed years ago that was supposed to stop this behavior, but I guess the laws still don't take Celiac Disease seriously.
This is why awareness needs to be brought to this illness. Even though there has been an emphasis on gluten free food in the last several years, the focus has been taken away from Celiac Disease. More research needs to be done, studies need to be conducted so we can find a cure, and we need to be taken care of when we go out to eat.
Guys, we cannot be afraid to speak up. People die from this illness, it must be taken seriously.
I'm a mom now, and I worry that I could have passed Celiac Disease to my son. If he ends up having the gene for Celiac Disease, I don't want him to deal with the eye rolls and the people who scoff at us. There needs to be more awareness, more compassion, more research into this illness. If you, or someone you know, has Celiac Disease, stand up and spread awareness.
#CeliacDisease #CeliacDiseaseAwarenessMonth #GlutenFree #GFree #GlutenFreeDiet #IAm1in100
