Yasith Weerasuriya- Creating Awareness About Celiac Disease and Its Effects on Your Body

Celiac disease should never be overlooked as it can really have grave consequences in the long term as the gluten in the food damages the tiny hairlike projects that are found in the lining of the small intestine called villi. However, one should not confuse this disease with glucose intolerance. In this case, one should not consume gluten as it does not damage the small intestine.  If one has intestinal inflammation after the ingestion of gluten, this is a sign of celiac disease.

Yasith Weerasuriya -The importance of being educated about celiac disease

Yasith Weerasuriya is currently one of the Board of Directors of the Celiac Disease Foundation and the President of Stanbridge University situated in Irvine and Los Angeles in California, USA. He holds over 20 years of rich experience in executive leadership in education. According to him, many people tend to think celiac disease is the same as gluten intolerance. This is not true. Both of them are different.

Gluten is a protein you find in barley, rye, and wheat. Over time the reaction of the immune system after ingesting gluten creates inflammation in the small intestine. This damages the tiny hairlike projections known as villi that line the small intestine. They are responsible for absorbing the nutrients from the food you take. If you have celiac disease, the damaged villi will prevent you from absorbing the nutrients from food. This condition is known as malabsorption and, if present in kids, will lead to slow and stunted growth.

Symptoms to note

Diarrhea is one of the key symptoms of celiac disease, while the others include bloating, fatigue, osteoporosis, anemia, and stomach gas. Not everyone will face the same symptoms. Some people have celiac disease and are mostly not aware of it. When it comes to the treatment of this disease, there is actually no permanent cure. One needs to opt for a gluten-free diet for life. This act will help the small intestine of the body to heal naturally. However, in order to ascertain whether you really have celiac disease or not, you need to visit a good doctor for the right tests.

Is going gluten-free the solution?

If you suspect you have celiac disease, you should opt for a gluten-free diet. However, before the tests, make sure you do not eliminate gluten from your diet completely. This will affect the test results, and you will not get accurate reports about your health. The report might look normal, and you will land up assuming you do not have celiac disease.

According to Yasith Weerasuriya, your doctor might resort to a biopsy of the small intestine to check whether the damage caused to the villi is a result of celiac disease. Here the doctor might conduct an endoscopy for taking the biopsy. The sample of your small intestine will be taken out with the help of a tiny instrument. This whole procedure will be conducted with the help of sedation to ensure you face no discomfort at all during the process.