Because of the potentially dire consequences of celiac disease, it is vital that you investigate it as a possibility of your child’s digestive problems.
There are various ways to form a diagnosis on wheat gluten intolerance. Methods include a blood test, an intestinal wall biopsy and elimination of gluten from the diet. Only one method, a true gluten-free diet, will offer a solid answer for all gluten intolerance problems. While your child might test negative for the two clinical tests for celiac disease, they don’t preclude all potential of a gluten intolerance.
In addition to a blood test, your doctor might determine it essential to do an intestinal biopsy. If it still comes back as negative, your doctor might still recommend you experiment with a gluten-free diet.
So you might as well start crafting your collection of gluten-free foods. Some suggest that gluten isn’t very good for anyone, not only individuals with a specific intolerance to it, so it may be a good exercise for you as a parent. Grocery stores like Whole Foods and Wild Oats strengthened gluten-free labeling — not simply wheat-free — items in their stores, so that has helped also.
Only fifteen years ago both the natural health and medical communities lacked an understanding of gluten intolerance’s reach on our population. Today we know that almost 1 percent of all people suffer from some degree of gluten intolerance. We also better understand the seriousness of long-term celiac disease when left untreated.
Since we have more information about this, we are finding better diagnosis from our doctors and more food alternatives and increased variety in our grocery stores. Some choice grocers now label better to help distinguish gluten-free foods.
Not that long ago, changing to a gluten-free lifestyle could be very daunting. Fortunately today five minutes on Google can help you uncover integral online communities of supporters and people experiencing the same issues.
I know how upsetting it can be to see your children battle with discomfort. And I understand how the mystery of that discomfort makes it that much more difficult to endure. So if your child’s issues seem at all related to a problem digesting what he or she is eating, I suggest for you to talk about this problem with your doctor and discuss the chance of gluten intolerance.
Although there is a learning curve to move to a gluten-free way of life, you will be able to make the change. Once you understand which companies and products to trust and which ones to eliminate, you will settle into a new life of better health and hope.