You probably didn’t know that this month is Celiac Awareness month… just like some of you may be wondering “What does celiac mean?” A celiac is someone who has celiac disease. In our little family of four we just happen to have a celiac. That means as a family, we do things a little different, specifically we eat gluten-free. By now I’m sure at some point you have heard about gluten-free foods.
Gluten free foods are foods that have no wheat, rye or barley in them or have come in contact with those grains during the manufacturing or preparation processes (to be labeled gluten free the gluten content of a food must be less than 20 ppm), this how to combat food allergies article might explain to you everything more detailed.
As a father of a celiac I am so glad that so many brands and restaurants are starting to offer gluten free products and menus, because it means more options for my kid. However there is so much more to know about Celiac Disease than just the fact that they can’t eat Gluten Free. Often confused with an allergy or described as gluten intolerance, it is in fact very different it is an auto-immune disease. That means that when someone with celiac disease eats gluten it triggers a response by the immune system causing it to attack the small intestine. It is a genetic disease which means it runs in families and one person’s diagnosis is a good reason for their relatives to consider being tested. Unfortunately, sometimes people don’t recognize their own signs and symptoms and we’ll say that they feel fine, however once they are diagnosed and start to manage their diet they notice a marked improvement in their well-being. It affects everyone differently so open, non-judgmental conversations are great ways to understand how when someone is affected by it.
Recently the National Foundation released this video about to encourage people with celiac disease and their families to have a serious conversation about the disease and the importance of getting tested for it.
Since it is Celiac Disease Awareness Month I wanted to echo the sentiment. If someone in your family has celiac disease take the time to visit your doctor and have them test you for it. It is a simple blood test (officially it is called IgA tissue transglutaminase or tTG). It can be ordered by most doctors and it is covered by most insurance plans. We were fortunate that we had a pediatrician order this test for my boy. Know we know and we have been able to watch him grow and be healthy for the past 8 years. We have learned so many great ways to live gluten-free that allows him to enjoy a full, healthy life, and it all started with a little test.
If you have a family member who has celiac disease, it is well worth your while to get tested. If you want more information on the disease and what you should know about getting the test here is a brochure that can answer some of your questions and empower you to have a conversation with your doctor:
How To Talk To Your Doctor About Celiac Disease Testing
You can always visit the The NFCA’s website for more information
If after all this you still have questions I’ll gladly have a conversation with you about Celiac Disease… Seriously.
(Originally posted on Diarydad.com)