There is quite a lot of celiac disease in Finland. Less than one percent have a diagnosis, but in population screenings it has been found in approximately one-half percent of working-age people and almost two percent of the elderly.
The percentages may seem small, but in practice they mean that around 70,000 Finns suffer for nothing.
There would be a treatment for celiac disease: a gluten-free diet. It has sometimes been thought that celiac disease mainly causes diarrhea and weight loss, but today its mechanisms and symptoms are better known. Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease in which the protein contained in some grains, gluten, inflames the lining of the small intestine. As a result, the intestinal villi is partially or completely destroyed.
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The blood and lymphatic vessels of the intestinal lining play an important role in the absorption and transport of nutrients for use by the body. Therefore, celiac disease is usually suspected if there is a deficiency of iron, calcium, B12 or vitamin D.
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– Iron deficiency anemia is a very typical symptom of celiac disease. In addition to damage to the intestinal villi, the inflammation caused by celiac disease also probably weakens the absorption and use of iron in the body, Celiac Association expert doctor Pilvi Laurikka.
The typical symptoms of celiac disease are still various stomach problems. Bloating and pains are also common, as are changes in abdominal function.
– The symptoms can be very similar to lactose intolerance or irritable bowel syndrome, such as slightly loose stools, swelling, heartburn or constipation, Laurikka lists.
What makes the disease difficult is that there is no single symptom that can be found in all people with celiac disease. It can even affect mood and liver values. Sometimes the symptoms are not even noticed.
It almost always shows up in a blood test
At the doctor, the possibility of celiac disease is usually determined first with a blood test. You can also do the quick test you can find at the pharmacy yourself. It is considered almost as accurate as an examination performed with a doctor’s referral.
– In celiac disease, the body’s defense cells start producing transglutaminase antibodies. They don’t really get into the blood otherwise, Laurikka says.
Finland is currently the only country in the world where celiac disease can be diagnosed even in adults based on a blood test alone. However, the criteria are strict. A quick test is not enough, the result must be verified with a laboratory sample.
– The screening blood test is quite sensitive and accurate, and it detects a large number of cases. Although, for example, about 10 percent of the elderly do not develop antibodies, even if they have celiac disease, Laurikka says.
People with celiac disease have a genetic predisposition to it. If a close relative has celiac disease, the close family should also be tested, i.e. children, siblings and parents. People with other autoimmune diseases also belong to the risk group. These include, for example, thyroid diseases and type I diabetes.
– All of them should be screened for celiac disease at a very low threshold, even if there are no symptoms yet.
For research before changing the diet
If no antibodies are found in the blood test, celiac disease is quite unlikely. However, stomach symptoms in adults are often still examined by looking at the stomach, i.e. gastroscopy.
– If a person in their twenties has typical symptoms of a functional stomach ailment, an examination is not necessarily done.
Increasing age, however, increases the possibility of serious problems, and people over 50 who have new abdominal symptoms are closely monitored.
However, no study reveals celiac disease if gluten has already been reduced or even completely eliminated from the diet. Gluten-containing grains should be eaten for at least three months, so that enough antibodies are produced to get the correct blood test result, or the intestinal mucosa reacts enough that the damage can be seen even with a microscope.
– If you get stomach symptoms from gluten grains, you should always come for examinations first and then make changes to your diet. If you start eating gluten-free in advance and it helps, going back to eating gluten for a long enough time is really difficult, Laurikka emphasizes.
The diagnosis motivates me to eat gluten-free
Celiac disease is treated by eliminating gluten completely. Gluten is found in wheat, rye and barley. All products made in the same production facilities as these grains also contain small amounts of gluten. That’s why celiacs can’t eat, for example, most oat products.
– It’s a big decision to eat strictly gluten-free for the rest of your life. That’s why it makes sense to get a diagnosis first. It also ensures that there are the right foundations before changing daily life, Laurikka emphasizes.
Avoiding gluten completely requires quite a bit of motivation and studying product information. It should not be done half-heartedly.
– The most short-sighted is to avoid gluten only partially and even before the possibility of celiac disease has been properly investigated.
The right treatment will make you feel better quickly
Damage to the small intestine takes from a few months to a couple of years to heal. A gluten-free diet relieves the symptoms much faster and you can surprisingly feel better in a couple of weeks. The benefits of the diet can also surprise you.
– The destruction of intestinal villi can also cause lactose intolerance, because the lactase enzymes that break down milk sugar are usually just at the ends of the intestinal villi.
When celiac disease is treated, even lactose no longer causes symptoms. We tend to get used to mild symptoms.
– Some have felt that they are symptom-free, even though celiac disease has been diagnosed. When they have left gluten, they have noticed that they feel much better, Laurikka. says.
These can also be signs of celiac disease
➤ Stomach problems: pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation
➤ Anemia, low hemoglobin
➤ Fatigue
➤ Weight loss
➤ Itchy and blistering rash
➤ Nausea
➤ Joint pain, joint swelling
➤ Osteoporosis
➤ Elevated liver values
➤ Repeated miscarriages and infertility
➤ Depression
➤ Canker sores in the mouth
➤ Increase in liver values
➤ Impairment of balance regulation
➤ Tooth enamel damage in small children
➤ Growth retardation in children
➤ Postponement of puberty in young people.
Expert Pilvi Laurikka Celiac Association’s expert doctor, doctor of medicine.
This article has appeared in Hyvä tervey magazine. As a subscriber, you can read all issues free of charge from the digilehdet.fi service.
Source: www.hyvaterveys.fi
