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If you're unable to stomach certain foods containing wheat, rye, or barley, it might be Celiac disease
30 June 2022
| Last updated on 30 June 2022
If bread, pasta, crackers, and certain beverages make you feel sick, read this.
No one wants unpleasant symptoms after eating a delicious cake, a savoury sandwich, or even a simple bowl of breakfast cereal.
But if this is happening to you, it's possible that you might have Celiac disease, a digestive and immune condition that is triggered by eating food containing gluten.
In this article, Dr. Rola Saadi, Consultant Gastroenterologist at Mediclinic, shares some important things to know about this condition, including signs of Celiac disease, diagnosis, and what treatment is available in Dubai.
What is Celiac disease?
Celiac disease is an immune mediated condition in which the ingestion of gluten, which is a protein contained in wheat, barley and rye will cause damage to the small bowel.
This is to be differentiated between non-celiac gluten sensitivity where patients have exactly the same symptoms as celiac disease: abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, bloating, but they do not actually have this immune mediated genetic condition and gluten does not harm their small bowel.
What are the symptoms of Celiac disease?
Some people are completely asymptomatic, they do not have any symptoms at all.
Symptoms can be classified as digestive and non-digestive.
Digestive symptoms are:
- Abdominal pain
- Cramps
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhoea
- Bloating.
There's a lot of non-specific extra-digestive symptoms such as anaemia, oral ulcers, neurological symptoms, skin rashes, so there's a wide range of different symptoms.
How to diagnose Celiac disease?
Diagnosis is made by identifying certain specific blood markers and doing a gastroscopy with a biopsy to confirm the presence of lesions in the small bowel.
Treatment for Celiac disease in Dubai
In terms of treatment, unfortunately, up until now there's only one treatment that works for Celiac disease and it's avoiding gluten.
The patient will have to go on gluten-free diet for the rest of their life.
"We always recommend the patient to work along with a dietician who will help them identify the obvious and less obvious sources of gluten," said Dr. Rola.
The patient will have to monitor regularly with their Gastroenterologist and there's also a lot of support groups where patients come together and discuss their experiences with the gluten-free diet.
To consult with a Gastroenterologist in Dubai, simply get in touch below.
Dr. Rola Saadi
Consultant Gastroenterologist
Mediclinic Dubai Mall / Mediclinic Parkview Hospital
