Undiagnosed and Misunderstood: The Impact of Gluten Sensitivity on Your Body
Sacramento, Calif.- I have to admit, despite my thorough naturopathic medical education, I didn’t take celiac disease (CD) seriously enough-until recently.
I hope you don’t take this lightly, because the very food you and your family are eating, instead of nourishing you, could be causing or contributing to hundreds of serious health conditions-even premature death-all from what you might have thought was “good for you!”
It was after attending Dr. Thomas O’Brien, DC’s all-day talk on “Unlocking the Secrets of Gluten Sensitivity” and witnessing the complete transformation of patients ranging in age from 2 to 76, simply by refraining from wheat and gluten, that I became determined to educate the public about the serious consequences of undiagnosed celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.
CD is a permanent intolerance to gluten, found in wheat, spelt, rye, barley, possibly oats, and other grains. Corn and rice do not contain gluten. The clinical presentation of CD can range from the classical syndrome of malabsorption (chronic diarrhea, weight loss, abdominal distension, and failure to thrive) to symptoms and conditions that can affect any organ system.
“It is a historical misconception,” says Dr. O’Brien, “that gluten sensitivity is regarded as principally a disease of the small intestine.”
A failure by physicians to recognize that many individuals with the disease initially present without digestive symptoms is another reason why CD testing may not be performed.
Gluten Intolerance
If you are searching for the cause of an illness, you should consider gluten intolerance in conditions such as: ADHD, Alzheimer’s, anemia, anxiety, autism, all autoimmune diseases (especially MS, rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid diseases, and type 1 diabetes), chronic fatigue, depression, edema, infertility, migraines, muscle pain and weakness, neurological conditions, osteoporosis, Parkinson’s, schizophrenia, and many others.
An estimated 3 million Americans (three out of four of whom are women) suffer from celiac disease, and the majority of those cases go undetected or misdiagnosed. After the onset of initial symptoms, most celiac patients visit five or more doctors, with a median delay of 8 years before receiving a diagnosis.
About 47% of patients will eventually be diagnosed, and of those with classical symptoms of CD, 59% are misdiagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome.
The medical journal Lancet estimated that the ratio of recognized to unrecognized CD in children is 1 to 14. For every symptomatic patient with CD, there are eight patients with no gastrointestinal symptoms. Every time the disease is clinically diagnosed in an adult, that person has likely had the disease in a latent or silent stage for decades. Around 25% of patients receive their diagnosis after the age of 60.
Death is most significantly affected by diagnostic delay, the pattern of presentation, and adherence to the gluten-free diet (GFD). Non-adherence to the GFD-defined as eating gluten just once per month-raises the relative risk of death by 600%.
Testing and follow-up nutritional plans are available through licensed naturopathic doctors.
Explore additional topics from Sacramento Naturopathic Medical Center with Dr. Godby, ND, MA and his team at Natural Wellness.
As a naturopathic doctor for the last 20 years, I have witnessed the power of a preventative lifestyle and naturopathic medicine to transform the health and lives of thousands of patients.
Sacramento Naturopathic
2530 J Street, Suite 100
Sacramento, CA 95816
Phone: (916) 446-2591
sac-nd.com/dr-dennis-godby-nd-ma
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