Coeliac disease is a severe health issue triggered when a person consumes food containing a protein called gluten, which is often found in barley, rye and wheat. When a person with coeliac disease eats gluten, it interferes with their absorption of nutrients as it damages a part of the small intestine called the villi.
Damaged villi mean it is practically impossible for your body to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, which can lead to further health problems, including some cancers, infertility, osteoporosis or thyroid disease.
What causes coeliac disease?
The cause of coeliac disease is not known, but it is widely believed that it is mainly due to people’s genes and eating food containing gluten.
The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive Kidney Diseases in the USA (NIDDK) believes there are three reasons why coeliac disease may appear:
- Family history
- Pregnancy
- Environmental factors
#Family History
According to the NHS, there is a 10% chance that you will develop coeliac disease if you have a close relative who lives with the condition. This rises to a 75% chance if you have an identical twin living with the same condition.
#Pregnancy
Some research has shown that coeliac disease can become active during pregnancy and childbirth, although further research is needed in this area.
#Environmental Factors
The NHS also say that a handful of environmental factors can potentially increase your chances of developing coeliac disease, with the majority of these factors focusing on early childhood.
These factors include:
- Consuming gluten before three months old
- Having a digestive system infection as a child
- Not being breastfed when gluten is introduced into the child’s diet
When should I take a gluten sensitivity test?
If you experience unpleasant symptoms after eating food products containing barley, oats, rye or wheat, you should consider taking a Gluten Sensitivity Test at home.
Signs you can look out for that indicate you should take a gluten sensitivity test include:
- Experiencing diarrhoea for over two weeks
- Experiencing digestive discomfort for over two weeks
- Experiencing thyroid issues
- Being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes
- Being diagnosed with Turner syndrome
- Suffering from rheumatoid arthritis
- Suffering from colitis
If you prefer to take the test in the privacy and comfort of your own home, then Test2Go’s Gluten Sensitivity Test lets you do just that.
The Test2Go Gluten Sensitivity Test is completed in the comfort of your home with an easy-to-use blood spot test that is as reliable as a doctor’s test.
It can be completed in under 5 minutes in the comfort of your home using a simple, painless process.
The test detects specific IgA anti-tissue transglutaminase antibodies (tTGA) in the blood – these are proven biomarkers for coeliac disease.
If your result is positive for tTG IgA antibodies, you should contact your doctor for further tests and diagnosis. Do not avoid eating foods containing gluten in the meantime, as lowering gluten intake reduces antibodies and can make diagnosis more difficult.
Buy an at home Gluten Sensitivity Test
References
- NHS – Coeliac Disease
- NIDDK – Coeliac Disease