CELIAC TOWN

Finding celiac disease facts can be hard to do with all the misinformation online. Here are ten celiac facts below to get you started. Be sure to check out our other pages to find more useful information.  

 

Celiac Disease Facts

1. Celiac is a life-long disease.  There is no growing out of celiac disease.

 

2. Key Celiac Disease Fact: Celiac can be triggered and begin at any age. Celiac is not just a childhood disease.

Mine was triggered at age 27 after I went through cancer treatments.

 

3. There is no cure for celiac disease. As of April 2019, there is not yet a cure for celiac.

4. Key Celiac Disease Fact: The only treatment for celiac is a strict gluten free diet.

At this time there are no valid medications or enzymes that make it possible for a celiac to safely consume gluten.

However, there are quite a few medications being tested which is good news.

 

5. Celiac disease is a genetic autoimmune disease. It’s not a wheat allergy or gluten sensitivity. This autoimmune response is different from an allergic response and it takes the body much longer to recover from gluten exposure.

 

6. Damage can occur without any obvious symptoms. Studies show that celiacs without symptoms will still experience damage from gluten exposure over time.

 

7. Taking enzymes won’t improve gluten tolerance for celiacs. Don’t fall for these.

 

8. Key Celiac Disease Fact: Many people with celiac disease don’t comply with the gluten free diet. New studies are showing over half of celiac patients do not always eat gluten free.

Many of these people report that they DO always eat gluten free.

 

This is important to know, because not every person with this disease is reliable and trustworthy. Sadly, you can’t trust every person who says I have celiac disease and I eat this, so it must be safe for you. 

 

9. With Celiac disease the treatment burden is almost completely on the patient and close family. There aren’t many follow up appointments or medications; but the daily emotional, financial and social cost are the responsibility of the patient.

 

10. While there are hundreds of symptoms of celiac disease, some people don’t experience any at symptoms all. This disease can look very different from person to person. Check out our Symptoms of Celiac Disease page to learn about the many different signs and symptoms.

 

11. Gluten is a protein and no amount of washing, cleaning, bleaching, boiling, frying, cooking or sanitizing will make gluten safe to eat. 

 

12. Celiac disease is a medical condition and the gluten free diet is the medical treatment for it. Eating gluten free is often seen as a joke, but for celiacs it’s our only way to treat this disease. Every mistake with food and gluten results in physical damage to our bodies.

 

 

13. Celiac disease is equally prevalent in both children and adults. It’s no longer just diagnosed in children. Now older adults and seniors are being diagnosed with celiac just as frequently as young people.

 

14. Genetic testing can be used to rule out celiac disease. It can’t diagnose the disease, but it’s 99% accurate with a negative result.

 

15. Celiac is the only autoimmune disease in which the trigger (gluten) is known.