Gluten Intolerance: The rising problem

Intro: Celiac disease was always thought to be rare, but it is now recognised as a major public health issue globally
Gluten-related diseases (GRDs), including celiac disease, have progressively emerged as a public health concern, and in India, GRDs are more prevalent in the north and north-west, where wheat is the main, than in the south and east, where rice is the standard. Have you ever wondered what celiac disease is, or what sorts of gluten intolerance and allergy exist? People find out about it later because of a lack of knowledge. Celiac disease, which is linked to both weight gain and weight loss, causes long-term digestive problems.
While there is no treatment for celiac disease, experts say nutrition can help manage symptoms and repair damage to the small intestine.
Celiac disease is classified into two kinds, according to the World Gastroenterology Organisation: classical and non-classical. "In classic celiac disease, patients experience malabsorption symptoms such as diarrhoea, steatorrhea (pale, foul-smelling, fatty stools), and weight loss or growth failure in children." Patients with non-classical celiac disease may have minor gastrointestinal symptoms without evident indicators of malabsorption, or they may have seemingly unrelated symptoms," says Dr. CRK Prasad, Senior Consultant Surgical & Bariatric Surgeon, Apollo Hospitals.
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENT
“They may suffer from abdominal distension and pain, and/or other symptoms such as: iron-deficiency anemia, chronic fatigue, chronic migraine, peripheral neuropathy (tingling, numbness or pain in hands or feet), unexplained chronic hypertransaminasemia (elevated liver enzymes), reduced bone mass and bone fractures, and vitamin deficiency (folic acid and B12), difficulty losing weight, late menarche/early menopause and unexplained infertility, dental enamel defects, depression and anxiety, dermatitis herpetiformis (itchy skin rash), etc,” says Dr Prasad.
Gluten is a group of proteins that are found in grains. Removing it from one’s diet can help to improve symptoms tied to celiac disease. “Treatment includes compliance with gluten free diet and replacement of vitamins which arent absorbed,” says Dr Prasad.
OTHER CAUSES
About 1% of people around the world have celiac disease, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation.
Other than digestive issues, the following are the most prevalent symptoms of celiac disease in adults:
• Aches and pains in the abdomen or joints
• Gastrointestinal symptoms include belching, diarrhoea, fat in the stool, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, or flatulence.
• Bone loss, tiredness, or starvation throughout the body
• Physical: delayed puberty or slow growth
• Other typical symptoms include cramping, irritation, lactose intolerance, skin rash, and weight loss.
DIAGNOSES
There are number of tests:
• Blood Tests: Blood sample to check for special proteins called antibodies, which tend to be elevated in people with celiac disease.
• Endoscopy: The doctor performs a biopsy, removing a tiny piece of tissue from the wall of small intestine to see whether it has been damaged by celiac disease.
• Genetic Testing: Most people with celiac disease carry a certain variant of the HLA-DQ2 or -DQ8 genes.
WHAT NOT TO EAT:
• Wheat
• Rye
• Semolina
• Hing (asafoetida)
• Malt
• Barley
WHAT TO EAT:
• Rice
• Amaranth
• Quinoa
• Bajra
• Ragi
HIGHLIGHTS
• Researchers haven’t yet been able to identify what exactly causes celiac disease and think it has to do with genetics combined with environmental factors.
• According to Nizam’s Institute of Medical Sciences (NIMS), more than 10 percent of Indians have gluten intolerance. It’s more common in north and east India than its primarily rice-eating southern parts.
• According to AIIMS, celiac disease affects close to six-eight million people in India, yet both the disease and the gluten-sensitivity remains heavily under-diagnosed.
• Symptoms are linked to digestion and the gastrointestinal tract.