<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>
With the talk of articles lately, I wanted to share a link a friend found
and sent my way to an article in the Seattle Post-Intelligence Healthy &
Fitness section called "Living Well: Celiac disease needs to be taken
seriously".
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/182472_condor19.html
Lisa
(Chicago area)
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/health/182472_condor19.html
Monday, July 19, 2004
Living Well: Celiac disease needs to be taken seriously
By BOB CONDOR
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER
When Eric Oemig's father died in late 2000, at age 67, doctors hadn't
figured out the type of cancer that killed him, despite locating a "large
mass of tumors" in his abdomen. What the physicians discovered after the
older Oemig's death is he suffered from celiac disease.
Celiac disease is a genetically influenced condition that renders a person
intolerant to gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye.
Researchers debate whether the gluten in oats causes similar body reactions.
Eating gluten leads to an improper immune system response, damaging the
inner lining of the small intestine and blocking nutrient absorption.
"I went on a gluten-free diet after my dad died," said Oemig, 36, who lives
in Kirkland. "I didn't wait for any doctor's orders. Nine months later, I
was officially diagnosed with celiac disease."
Oemig's diagnosis experience with his general practitioner is not the type
of thing medical schools want to drop into their recruitment brochures, but
it might make a good what-not-to-do case study in the curriculum.
While Oemig convinced his reluctant physician to perform the blood test that
can identify celiac disease, the doctor's office never called with the
results. Oemig had to call to find out he did, in fact, test positive for
celiac and then received a perfunctory response.
"My doctor said, 'Oh, yeah, you have it,' " recalled Oemig. "He told me to
try to cut back on my gluten, but that it was no big deal, that it wouldn't
kill me or anything."
Oemig switched doctors in short order. He now sees a naturopathic physician
for general care.
Under-diagnosis of celiac disease is far too common. That's not just the
opinion of a Portland friend of mine, a naturopathic physician who wrote her
thesis on celiac disease several years ago. Or patients like Oemig, who
designed the Web site for the Seattle Celiacs support group
(www.seattleceliacs.com), which meets from 7 to 9 p.m. every third Tuesday
of the month in Bellevue.
Celiac disease has officially earned a spot on the mainstream medical map.
In late June, the National Institutes of Health issued a consensus statement
on celiac after three days of hearings and presentations on all available
scientific evidence. The panel concluded that celiac disease is
significantly under-diagnosed and may affect up to 3 million Americans or 10
times previous estimates.
What's more, the panel found that, on average, a patient endures 11 years of
symptoms before an accurate diagnosis.
The NIH panel called for greater physician and public awareness and earlier
testing. Blood tests for gluten intolerance and celiac disease have improved
in recent years.
As it turns out, creating physician and public awareness will be the
so-called easy part. Making a correct and effective diagnosis will be more
challenging for doctors and patients alike.
"Celiac disease has confounding factors," said Dr. Jamey Wallace, a
naturopathic physician and clinical medical director at Bastyr University in
Seattle. "It can present in numerous ways. We call it a moving-target
disease."
Classic symptoms include diarrhea, abdominal pain, gas, bloating and weight
loss. However, experienced practitioners such as Wallace recognize that
other symptoms -- blistering, itchy skin rash, anemia, short stature,
infertility and tooth enamel defect -- can point to celiac disease, too.
The NIH panel indicated that people with atypical symptoms might outnumber
those with digestive involvement. Wallace even has consulted with patients
whose behavior and depression symptoms change dramatically when gluten is
consumed.
Dr. Stephen Wangen, a Bastyr-trained naturopathic physician in Bothell,
discovered celiac disease while reading a textbook as a medical student. He
linked his own symptoms -- chronic digestive problems and itchy skin -- to
the illness. His teaching doctors at Bastyr confirmed his hunch and
diagnosed him with celiac disease in 1996.
"I always thought my digestive problems were stress-related," said Wangen,
whose first career included some high-pressure positions in hazardous waste
removal at facilities throughout the world. "I stopped eating gluten and my
symptoms cleared in two days."
It's estimated that about 5 percent of Americans have gluten intolerance,
compared to the 1 percent with celiac disease and its related nutrition
malabsorption, which can lead to bone-thinning osteoporosis. Non-celiac
people will endure milder yet persistent symptoms, such as digestive upset
and skin itchiness.
About 50 percent to 60 percent of the time, eliminating gluten will spur
dramatic improvements. But a number of Wangen's patients still have
symptoms. He typically recommends eliminating dairy and sometimes eggs or
nuts to see if those foods trigger such problems as diarrhea and sinus
drainage.
"Food can cause a hundred different problems," said Wangen. "Dairy is the
biggest issue among my patients."
If the NIH consensus panel meets its mission, more physicians will make food
allergies, especially the life-altering repercussions of celiac disease,
part of a complete diagnostic workup. That progressive step is yet to be
played out. Let's hope our medical community takes note and takes it
seriously. We all benefit from better connecting food and health.
Meanwhile, Oemig, for one, has noticed some positive changes since he went
gluten-free in 2001. For example, Seattle is a haven for vegetarian
restaurants, many of which offer gluten-free meals and baked goods. Two
delectable highlights: Kaili's Kitchen, an all-gluten-free restaurant in
Edmonds, and the Flying Apron Organic Bakery in the University District.
Plus, Oemig, says the current big diet trend has abetted gluten-free
seekers.
"The Atkins diet has made it a lot easier to ask for gluten-free meals in
almost any restaurant," he said. "There are all sorts of bunless burgers and
sandwiches. You don't have to feel funny about asking to hold the bread."
Bob Condor writes every Monday about health and quality of life. He is
editor of the Seattle-based Evergreen Monthly, which covers health,
environment, food, social good, spirituality and personal growth (visit
www.evergreenmonthly.com). Send e-mails to [log in to unmask] with any
questions or ideas for the Living Well column.
* Visit the Celiac Web Page at www.enabling.org/ia/celiac/index.html *
|
