An extreme number of misdiagnoses pass through clinics on a daily basis. The misdiagnosis may be caused by a patient not giving the doctors enough information on their condition, or not giving the truth to them. The misdiagnosis may be caused by a doctor not paying attention to the details given or not ordering the appropriate tests. Some misdiagnoses may be caused even by the lab professional during the process of analyzing the information obtained. In any case, research and second opinions are always the best option.
Celiac disease is an immune reaction to eating gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye (Mayo Clinic). Celiac disease causes an inflammatory reaction in the walls of the small intestine that in turn creates an absorption issue within the tissue. Without absorbing the needed nutrients within a food, the bodily organs such as the kidneys and liver cannot function properly, and even the bones can begin to deteriorate (personal communication with Dr. Doug Howerton, MD, Gastroenterologist on November 16, 2013). Testing for celiac disease 25 years ago was only done by endoscopy and biopsy of the stomach and small intestine.
When testing is done, it is important to have the patient eating a regular diet with no restrictions to provide the most accurate results (Mayo Clinic Staff, n. d. ). Many doctors feel that testing should be necessary when diagnosing celiac disease. Without a biopsy being performed, a false diagnosis is more likely. The expenses of a gluten free diet can be life altering alone, not to mention the lifestyle changes like eating at restaurants and dining at friend’s homes (Green, 2013). Other professionals believe that a biopsy is not necessary to diagnose celiac disease or other gluten sensitivities.
An endoscopy is a clinical way to observe the lining of the stomach and small intestine, and can reveal any inflammation or visual abnormalities. Saliva tests or blood tests can also be used to properly diagnose without biopsy according to Dr. Alessio Fasano, M. D. , by searching for specific antibodies that would only be present in patients that are positive for celiac disease. Celiac disease is an incurable disease, yet it can be controlled with a gluten free diet (Fasano, 2013). Abiding by a completely gluten free diet is not only expensive, but it can be dangerously confusing.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has made it a requirement to clearly label foods that are considered to be gluten free. Gluten is the protein naturally found in wheat, rye, barley, and the crossbreeds of those grains. The FDA has come up with a way for the ingredients to be listed on food labels so that people with celiac disease, otherwise known as gluten intolerance, can feel safe purchasing process and altered foods. As many as 3 million people have celiac disease as their diagnosis, and the FDA is requiring that all products are labeled for their safety (FDA, 2013).
It is agreed upon that celiac disease is a genuine health issue, but the explosion of diagnoses’ brings with it wonder about the motivation for diagnosis. Could the diagnosis be provoked by the wishes of the doctor for a healthier society? Maybe the medical professionals find it easier to explain intestinal issues by calling it celiac disease, and making an ‘easy’ switch of the diet to correct the problematic digestion (Personal communication, October 16, 2013). Not all gluten sensitivity comes from celiac disease.
A celiac test can be done from a blood sample, and tests have shown that there are some 18 million people that suffer from gluten sensitivity, but the number of people that have a celiac-related sensitivity is only is only around 6 million. This may mean that the sensitivity is gluten alone, but it also could be that there is another ingredient that is contained within in the gluten positive product that is to blame (National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, 2011-2012). Celiac disease diagnosis’s are on the rise, and no one can deny that. The question is ‘why?
’ Some scientists believe that it is the breeding of the wheat that is to blame for the increase. Breeders take the wheat that is tested and found to have the highest protein content and ‘breed’ it to create more of the same, rather than letting nature take its course. Other scientists believe that it id the increased consumption of the wheat products, which has been known to be a healthier option to white and processed products. Dr. Ford wrote in the interest of creating a gluten free world. He wrote with an idea to create a stress-free approach to removing all gluten from the diet. Not only would Dr.
Ford like to make eating gluten free simple, his plan ensures that there is no gluten in any human food, ever. Dr. Ford wrote of creating a vaccine or medicine that would allow humans to continue eating as they please, rather than eating healthily. He compares them to smokers; if there was a healthy way to continue smoking, more would do it, but if an easy way to quit was offered, that option would be taken more readily. Many medical professionals and scientists are with the understanding that gluten is bad for every person, not just people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivities (Ford, 2012).
On the contrary, Gluten free food and vegan food is often loaded with other ingredients to replace what they are to imitate. There are many “healthy” alternatives, however the labels reveal that items such as gluten free bread and pastries are chock full of potato and white rice products, not to mention chemicals that are added to mimic the more natural and unaltered ingredients (Huff, 2013). This fact alone should make one wonder what the ulterior motive is behind prescribing a fully gluten free diet without a true diagnosis, complete with biopsy.
It may just be a simple option to get patients to eat a healthier diet. Eating a gluten free diet is one healthy option in a sense, but replacing the gluten-filled products with processed foods that are filled with unhealthy starches or chemicals isn’t healthy either, so who actually wins? (Personal communication, October 16, 2013). There are a few reasons that switching to a gluten free diet is a good idea for a patient. One reason to switch to a gluten free diet is because celiac disease is diagnosed.
If a patient is diagnosed with celiac disease, the patient must conform to a gluten free diet to avoid intestinal irritation, illness, and other health issues associated with the absorption of nutrients through the affected areas. Gluten sensitivity is another reason to change the diet to a gluten free diet. Gluten sensitivity is an irritation from consuming dietary gluten, but has not been diagnosed as celiac disease. The reaction to gluten as a patient with gluten sensitivity is not as severe as a reaction to gluten in a patient with celiac disease (Lewis, 2013).
Skin rashes may appear on a patient with gluten sensitivity, and with some forms of celiac disease. This is another chronic disease that is called dermatitis herperiformis. It appears as groups watery, itchy blisters that resemble pimples or blisters. It is hereditary just as celiac disease is. 60 % of those diagnosed with the disease are men, and are usually diagnosed between the ages of 15 and 40. The best choice to relieve the symptoms of this disease is to eat a gluten free diet (Gluten Intolerance Group, 2011).
Losing weight is a common reason that people choose to alter their diets to a gluten free diet. The additives that are in the gluten free processed foods may do exactly the opposite of what the patient’s hope for results is, and may cause other health problems. Some patients choose to switch to a gluten free diet simply because of intestinal issues, but without consulting a doctor. The patient may have anything from Acid Reflux or Irritable Bowel Syndrome to Crohn’s Disease of celiac disease; even a more devastating disease of the digestive tract is possible.
Self-diagnosing is something that should never be done without the supervision or opinion of a licensed physician, preferably one that specializes in the patient’s area of concern (Lewis, 2013). Each medical professional has their own way of documenting their findings, testing their patients, and diagnosing disease. While celiac disease is considered a genetic disease, it is a greatly growing diagnosis that can be controlled with the proper diet and nutrition. There are choices that the diagnosed patient has to make regarding their new lifestyle.
The quick and simple option may be to grab the processed and altered food from the shelves at the grocery store, but the health conscious inside of one’s head must prevail. By choosing the easy option, the health of the body suffers. A gluten free lifestyle is not a healthy option for people that are not sensitive to gluten-containing products. Self-diagnosis, striving for weight loss and determination to live a healthier lifestyle are not reasons to switch to a gluten free diet. Patients should get a medical professional’s opinion before changing anything in their lifestyles, and possibly even a second opinion to live their best life now.
Annotated Bibliography Fasano, M. D. , Dr. Alessio. (2013, October). A biopsy should not be required to make the diagnosis. AGA Perspectives Online. (2013, October). Retrieved November 30, 2013, from http://www. gastro. org/journals-publications/aga-perspectives/octobernovember-2013/a-biopsy-should-not-be-required-to-make-the-diagnosis. The duration of celiac disease is permanent, so the diagnosis should be accurate. Endoscopy and biopsy in the past was the only way to diagnose the disease, but in the past 25 years, diagnosis has been made easier. Blood tests, saliva tests, and a simple endoscopy without biopsy make diagnosis possible.
Lesions and other abnormalities such as localized irritation can be seen as celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Because the disease is generally genetic, and celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder triggered by dietary gluten sensitivity, diagnosis by other testing is made easier by looking for certain antibodies that are present in the blood or saliva. Food and Drug Administration. (2013, August). What is gluten free? FDA has an answer. (2013, August). Retrieved October 7, 2013, from FDA Consumer Updates Website: http://www. fda. gov/forconsumers/consumerupdates/ucm363069. htm.
Gluten is the protein naturally found in wheat, rye, barley, and the crossbreeds of those grains. The FDA has come up with a way for the ingredients to be listed on food labels so that people with celiac disease, otherwise known as gluten intolerance, can feel safe purchasing process and altered foods. As many as 3 million people have celiac disease as their diagnosis, and the FDA is requiring that all products are labeled for their safety. Ford, Dr. Rodney. (2012, January). Gluten: Bad for us all! Green Med Info. (2012, January). Retrieved October 10, 2013 from website: http://www. greenmedinfo. com/blog/gluten-bad-us-all Dr.
Ford speaks of the interest of creating a gluten-free world, making it easy to quit eating all gluten, and ensuring that there is no gluten in any human food, ever. Dr. Ford speaks of creating a vaccine or medicine that will allow humans to continue eating as they please, and compares them to smokers, and if there was a healthy way to continue smoking, more would do it, but if an easy way to quit was offered, that option would be taken more readily. Many medical professionals and scientists are with the understanding that gluten is bad for every person, not just people with celiac disease or gluten.