Celiac Awareness Month

Image source: http://www.gluten-free-n-y-c.com/celiac-awareness-month-begins-tomorrow/

This month when going into a local market I saw a sign that read, “May is Celiac awareness month.” Following the statement were some basic facts. Even though I’ve lived the Gluten-Free life style for roughly five or six years after my doctor suggested that I have Celiac, I confess that some of the facts on the chalk board were new to me.

According to NFCA, 1 in every 133 Americans has Celiac Disease but 83% are either misdiagnosed or under diagnosed. Let’s take a moment to put that into a big perspective.

WorldOMeters.info says there are approximately 322, 583, 006 people in America as of last summer. 1% of that population has Celiac Disease. Now I stink at math without a trusty calculator but I imagine the total number of Celiacs in the USA are a mind blowing number, and then to imagine that 83% of that number doesn’t have a clue that they have the disease. Tragic huh? Some estimates say that by 2019 a proper diagnosis might reach 50% to 60% of those people who fall in the 1% because of the infomercials and the awareness month. Add to that the information from organizations that show autoimmune diseases, thyroid disease, osteoporosis, and even cancer can be linked to untreated Celiac Disease and you have the makings of another disease being listed as public enemy #1.

According to WebMD.com (and others) symptoms of Celiac have been found to be:

• “Digestive problems (abdominal bloating, pain, gas, diarrhea, pale stools, and weight loss)
• A severe skin rash called dermatitis herpetiformis
• Iron deficiency anemia (low blood count)
• Musculoskeletal problems (muscle cramps, joint and bone pain)
• Growth problems and failure to thrive (in children)
• Seizures
• Tingling sensation in the legs (caused by nerve damage and low calcium)
• Aphthous ulcers (sores in the mouth)
• Missed menstrual periods”

Serious stuff. So it is better to be safe than sorry and ask your doctor about Celiac Disease if you have any of these symptoms.

Sources

“Celiac Disease Causes, Symptoms, Treatments, Tests, & More.” WebMD. WebMD. Web. 9 May 2015. <http://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/celiac-disease/celiac-disease>.

“National Foundation for Celiac Disease Awareness.” Celiac Disease: Fast Facts. Web. 11 May 2015. <http://www.celiaccentral.org/celiac-disease/facts-and-figures/>.