Celiac disease is a long-lasting autoimmune disorder that affects several parts of your body which can lead to other major illnesses whether you are on a gluten-free diet.
How Do They Test You for Celiac Disease?
There are two types of test to determine existing celiac disease in human: screening and endoscopic biopsy. For best result your doctor can ask you to pass both tests.
Screening
There are a number of serologic (blood) tests readily available that screen for celiac disease antibodies, however the most commonly used is called a tTG-IgA test. For this test to work, you should be consuming gluten. If blood test results recommend celiac disease, your doctor will recommend a biopsy of your small intestine to verify the medical diagnosis.
People with celiac disease carry one or both of the HLA DQ2 and DQ8 genes. So do up to 40% of all people. Carrying HLA DQ2 and/or DQ8 is not a medical diagnosis of celiac disease nor does it mean you will ever develop celiac disease. Nevertheless, if you are on a gluten-free diet or are a first-degree relative of someone with celiac disease (parent, brother or sister, child), hereditary screening can assist to dismiss if you will ever develop celiac disease.
Endoscopic Biopsy
A medical diagnosis can be reached by undergoing an endoscopic biopsy. This procedure is performed by a gastroenterologist and is an outpatient procedure. A biopsy is taken of the small intestine, which is then analyzed to see if there is any damage consistent with celiac disease. The medical diagnosis may be validated when improvement is seen while on a gluten-free diet.
Preliminary and Annual Follow-Up
Once detected, initial follow-up with your physician and a signed up dietitian is necessary to monitor dietary deficiencies and your compliance with a gluten-free diet, as well as assess for involved conditions. You must have a yearly check out with your doctor thereafter.
Who Should Get Screened?
- Children older than 3 and adults experiencing symptoms of celiac disease
- First-degree family members of people with celiac disease — parents, brother or sisters and children have a 1 in 10 risk compared with 1 in 100 in the basic population
- Any specific with an associated autoimmune disorder or other condition, particularly type 1 diabetes mellitus, autoimmune thyroid disease, autoimmune liver disease, Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, Williams syndrome, and selective immunoglobulin A (IgA) deficiency
What is the blood test for celiac disease?
Testing might also be purchased in those who have other autoimmune illness. Celiac disease blood tests determine the quantity of specific antibodies in the blood. The most typical tests consist of: Tissue transglutaminase antibody (tTG), IgA class– the primary test purchased to evaluate for celiac disease.
Can you die if you have celiac disease?
Celiac disease that does not react to the gluten-free diet can progress to an especially deadly type of lymphoma, so the finding that celiacs have a much higher-than-normal death rate from lymphoma isn’t really surprising. In general, the risk of dying from any cause was only slightly greater than normal – however it was greater.
