Diagnosing Gluten Allergy

The digestive disorder coeliac disease (gluten allergy) scars the lining of the small intestine preventing the absorption of nutrients. Gluten allergy symptoms manifest as gastrointestinal distress of all forms.

Coeliac disease effects genetically predisposed individuals and can cause severe, lifelong disruption of their dietary intake since gluten is found in wheat, rye, malt, barley and oats. In Western countries the condition is extremely common. In the United States 1 in 133 people have gluten allergies.

Does Gluten Allergy Cause Serious Complications?

If left untreated, the damage caused by gluten allergies can cause anemia, bone diseases, and in some instances even cancer. However, the good news is that when gluten has been removed from the diet the damage caused to the bowel will improve and in many cases disappear completely.

What Are The Symptoms And Do They Differ In Children?

Symptoms of gluten allergy include a range of digestive issues such as indigestion, heartburn, and irritable bowel syndrome. There may be unexplained weight loss, constipation, diarrhea, flatulence, minor rectal bleeding, and acid reflux. Itchy dermatitis is also a symptom of this disorder as is excessive fatigue. Coeliac disease is also associated with anemia, cardiomyopathy, depression, miscarriage, and peripheral neuropathy.

Gluten food allergy in young children will cause weight loss and an extended abdomen. The effected children will fail to thrive and will grow very slowly. This can continue into adolescence with puberty being delayed. Children will also be irritable and will vomit easily. Some evidence suggests a link between gluten intolerance and autism.

How Is a Diagnosis Made?

A major problem with diagnosing gluten allergy is the condition's tendency to be misdiagnosed especially in the presence of diarrhea, frequent indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome. The best method to achieve a conclusive diagnosis is upper endoscopy.

This minimally invasive procedure visualizes the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract through a plastic tube that houses fiber-optic cable and the necessary circuits to transmit images back to the operator. It is possible, via this method, to biopsy the duodenum, the first and shortest part of the small intestine, and the area in which damage from gluten is visible. The test may be done twice, once with the patient on their normal diet and once after they have followed a gluten-free regimen.

Unfortunately endoscopy is expensive and still too invasive for some people's tastes. There are gluten allergy tests that can be run on blood samples but they do not tend to be reliable and also must be performed twice, once on the individual's normal diet and once on a gluten-free diet. Given this conundrum, many people who suspect they are gluten intolerant choose to simply remove the substance from their dietary intake. If their gluten allergy symptoms subside, they opt to live with the complications and challenges of being gluten free rather than seeing a return of their uncomfortable and disturbing symptoms.

Continue to: How do Treat Gluten Allergy Diseases

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