Explaining Medicine
  • News
  • Health & Lifestyle
    • Diet & Weight Management
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Nutrition, Food & Recipes
    • Prevention & Wellness
  • Conditions
    • Custom1
      • Conditions A-Z
      • Procedures A-Z
      • Allergies
      • Alzheimer’s
      • Arthritis
      • Asthma
      • Blood Pressure
      • Cholesterol
      • Cancer
    • Custom2
      • Chronic Pain
      • Cold Flu
      • Depression
      • Diabetes
      • Digestion
      • Eyesight
      • Health Living
      • Healthy Kids
      • Hearing Ear
    • Custom3
      • Heart
      • HIV/AIDS
      • Infectious Disease
      • Lung Conditions
      • Menopause
      • Men’s Health
      • Mental Health
      • Migraine
      • Neurology
    • Custom4
      • Oral Health
      • Pregnancy
      • Senior Health
      • Sexual Health
      • Skin Problems
      • Sleep
      • Thyroid
      • Travel Health
      • Women’s Health
  • Medications
    • Medications
    • Supplements and Vitamins
  • Medical Dictionary
  • Health Alerts
Is It Dry Skin or Atopic Dermatitis?
Atopic Dermatitis: How to Get Enough Sleep
Atopic Dermatitis: Help for Broken Skin
Atopic Dermatitis and Food Triggers
What’s at stake as the Supreme Court hears...
Oncologists’ meetings with drug reps don’t help cancer...
Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: What to Know
CSU: What to Wear and What to Avoid
Treatment Plan for Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria
When the Hives of CSU Don’t Go Away...
Top Posts

Explaining Medicine

  • News
  • Health & Lifestyle
    • Diet & Weight Management
    • Exercise & Fitness
    • Nutrition, Food & Recipes
    • Prevention & Wellness
  • Conditions
    • Custom1
      • Conditions A-Z
      • Procedures A-Z
      • Allergies
      • Alzheimer’s
      • Arthritis
      • Asthma
      • Blood Pressure
      • Cholesterol
      • Cancer
    • Custom2
      • Chronic Pain
      • Cold Flu
      • Depression
      • Diabetes
      • Digestion
      • Eyesight
      • Health Living
      • Healthy Kids
      • Hearing Ear
    • Custom3
      • Heart
      • HIV/AIDS
      • Infectious Disease
      • Lung Conditions
      • Menopause
      • Men’s Health
      • Mental Health
      • Migraine
      • Neurology
    • Custom4
      • Oral Health
      • Pregnancy
      • Senior Health
      • Sexual Health
      • Skin Problems
      • Sleep
      • Thyroid
      • Travel Health
      • Women’s Health
  • Medications
    • Medications
    • Supplements and Vitamins
  • Medical Dictionary
  • Health Alerts
  • ConditionsDepressionDiabetesMedicationsNews

    Going Gluten Free? Necessary for Some, Optional for Others

    Going Gluten Free? Necessary for Some, Optional for Others

    Illustration of a sheaf of wheat.

    With the growing popularity of gluten-free products at your local grocery store, you may have wondered if you should avoid eating gluten. Sidestepping gluten can be a lifestyle choice for many. But for those with a condition known as celiac disease, it’s a medical necessity.

    Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and sometimes oats—ingredients often used in breads, pastas, and desserts. Some people get gas, diarrhea, or bloating after eating gluten. These symptoms could be caused by intolerance to the protein or a wheat allergy, but celiac disease is different.

    When a person with celiac disease eats or drinks anything with gluten, the body’s immune system attacks the inside of the small intestine. The damage from this attack keeps the body from absorbing needed nutrients. If left untreated, celiac disease can lead to malnutrition, depression, anxiety, anemia, or weakened bones. It can also delay children’s growth.

    Celiac disease can be hard to spot, because its symptoms can be similar to other disorders. The condition affects about 1% of people worldwide; nearly 80% of them haven’t been diagnosed, says Dr. Alessio Fasano, a celiac disease specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital. “Celiac disease is a clinical chameleon. This creates tremendous confusion and challenging situations for both health care professionals and people who are trying to understand what’s wrong with them,” Fasano says.

    Your doctor can use a blood test to look for signs of celiac disease. Before the test, continue eating foods with gluten. Otherwise, the results may be negative for celiac disease even if you have it. Eating a regular diet can also help your doctor determine if you have a form of gluten sensitivity that is not celiac disease. Gluten sensitivity is something you may grow out of over time, Fasano explains, whereas celiac disease is a lifelong condition.

    If your tests and symptoms suggest celiac disease, your doctor may confirm the diagnosis by removing a small piece of your intestine to inspect it for damage.

    Genetic tests may be used to detect the genes that turn on the body’s immune response to gluten. Such tests can help rule out celiac disease, but they can’t be used for diagnoses; many people who have the genes never develop celiac disease.

    Fasano’s team is studying why some people with these genes don’t have symptoms. The NIH-funded researchers will follow infants who are at increased risk because a family member has celiac disease. The team hopes its findings will help doctors predict who will get celiac disease and learn how to prevent it.

    People with one autoimmune disease are at increased risk for other autoimmune diseases. Because celiac disease and type 1 diabetes share risk genes, a large international study is following newborns at risk for both conditions to identify environmental factors that may trigger or protect from these diseases.

    Going on a strict 100% gluten-free diet for life remains the only treatment for now. “We can’t take the genes out, so we remove the environmental trigger,” Fasano says.

    Gluten is sometimes found in unexpected sources—such as medications, vitamins, or lip balms—so check ingredient lists carefully. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has strict regulations for the use of “gluten-free” labels. Talking with a dietitian can also be helpful for learning about your food options.

    If you suspect you may have celiac disease, talk with your doctor. Waiting too long for a diagnosis might lead to serious problems.

    NIH News in Health, May 2016

    Going Gluten Free? Necessary for Some, Optional for Others was last modified: June 29th, 2016 by National Institute

    Related

    0 comment
    0
    Facebook Twitter Google + Pinterest
    National Institute

    previous post
    Hunting Boko Haram
    next post
    More Americans Visiting ER for Dental Care

    Related Articles

    PremierPro Rx naloxone HCl (see Naloxone (By injection))

    June 21, 2016

    Paltrow-promoted Coffee Enema May Be Dangerous

    January 8, 2018

    Oxytocin (By injection)

    June 21, 2016

    Thrombin (On the skin)

    June 16, 2016

    NovaPlus levothyroxine sodium (see Levothyroxine (By injection))

    June 21, 2016

    GenTeal PM (see Eye Lubricant (Into the eye))

    June 20, 2016

    5 months in – just breathe, just love!

    August 22, 2018

    Understanding Sugar Addiction in Children

    November 17, 2017

    Are you giving examples the minority can relate to?

    January 15, 2018

    Coartem (see Artemether/Lumefantrine (By mouth))

    June 18, 2016

    Recent Posts

    • Is It Dry Skin or Atopic Dermatitis?

      April 24, 2024
    • Atopic Dermatitis: How to Get Enough Sleep

      April 24, 2024
    • Atopic Dermatitis: Help for Broken Skin

      April 24, 2024
    • Atopic Dermatitis and Food Triggers

      April 24, 2024
    • What’s at stake as the Supreme Court hears Idaho case about abortion in emergencies

      April 23, 2024

    Keep in touch

    Facebook Twitter Google + RSS

    Recent Posts

    • Is It Dry Skin or Atopic Dermatitis?

      April 24, 2024
    • Atopic Dermatitis: How to Get Enough Sleep

      April 24, 2024
    • Atopic Dermatitis: Help for Broken Skin

      April 24, 2024
    • Atopic Dermatitis and Food Triggers

      April 24, 2024
    • What’s at stake as the Supreme Court hears Idaho case about abortion in emergencies

      April 23, 2024
    • Terms of Service
    • Privacy Policy

    @2025 - Explaining Medicine. All Right Reserved.


    Back To Top
    Explaining Medicine
    Proudly powered by WordPress Theme: soledad child.