Celiac disease is a common condition, affecting approximately 1 in 133 Canadians. If you experience celiac disease symptoms, your physician may recommend testing for celiac disease. Part of the process will involve discussing your family medical history, as celiac disease has a strong genetic predisposition. “If one person in the family has been diagnosed with celiac disease, there is a higher risk for the other members to develop the same condition,” says David Israel, a pediatrician and HealthChoicesFirst.com partner. “It doesn’t mean that they will have it, but instead of having a risk of one in two hundred, their risk may be one in twenty, which is ten times higher.”
Celiac disease is a condition that damages the lining of the small intestine after gluten is ingested. When a person has celiac disease, there is an auto immune system reaction to three types of grains: wheat, barley and rye. As a result, the small intestine can't absorb parts of food, and a person suffers celiac disease symptoms such as stomach pain, nausea and diarrhea. If your child, a parent or your siblings were diagnosed with celiac disease and you don't feel well, talk to your family physician about testing for celiac disease.
Heading out to eat? Watch our Dining Choices for Celiac Disease video.
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