May is the "real" Celiac disease awareness month. It used to be October, which is why I posted information back in October about the disease and my own difficulties with it. I'm going to post some relevant information this month, again, because I know it's important to increase awareness and understanding.
Did you know: An estimated 1 in 141 Americans has Celiac disease, yet 83% of those who have it are either undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. That's an awful lot of people. But even with the large numbers of people who are undiagnosed, the numbers of diagnosed individuals has been steadily increasing....and it's not just because of more accurate diagnostics.
The availability and popularity of gluten free (GF) food has increased, but many people have mixed feelings. Like many trendy, fad diets, the public exposure can trivialize the real need. I've been exposed to people on the internet who have very negative opinions when someone goes into a restaurant and asked for gluten free items. Some restaurant workers have shared anecdotes of customers who insisted they were gluten free but ordered a beer to drink. Behavior like this does have an impact on public perception of the whole gluten free movement. After 9 months of gluten free living, eating out is still the most difficult part for me. I've learned to specify that I have Celiac disease when at a restaurant. And even then, I've had salads served to me with croutons, when I specifically asked for no croutons. I've had to send back sandwiches that came to me on a bun, after asking for no bun...and I had to emphasize that I can't just pull food off the bread. Celiacs can get sick from the crumbs left over if they try to pick the croutons off. I don't want to know what goes on behind the scenes in the kitchens, and I'm thankful I have only been visibly sick from eating out a handful of times. But lack of symptoms does not equal lack of internal damage.
Let me start with the fact that I'm extremely thankful to have figured out what was going on with my body. I'm thankful that Celiac isn't a more serious disease where I have to take daily drugs, or need to cope with physical deterioration. However, Celiac disease does have serious consequences on the body, mostly when individuals continue to eat gluten, but sometimes even when an individual sticks to a gluten free diet.
Some of these complications include:
- Malnutrition
- Infertility
- Rickets, Osteoporosis, and other bone density related issues
- Lactose intolerance
- Cancer: increased risk of bowel cancers and lymphoma
- Nerve issues: including seizures and peripheral neuropathy.
In addition, if you or someone you love has been diagnosed with one of those more vague conditions, such as chronic fatigue syndrome or irritable bowel syndrome, encourage testing for food allergies and food related disorders like Celiac. It gives new meaning to the old saying "You are what you eat."
"America's health care system is in crisis precisely because we systematically neglect wellness and prevention." ~Tom Harkin
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