1. What is the difference between coeliac disease and an allergy to wheat and other cereals?
People may develop allergies to any foods, including cereals such as wheat and rye. Genuine food allergies involve immediate reactions and the production of specific IgE antibodies. These IgE antibodies if produced in response to wheat or rye may cause some symptoms similar to those caused by coeliac disease but they will only do so for a short time after eating the triggering food. The reaction may be mild or severe but does not cause chronic damage to the lining of the intestine the way that celiac disease does. Symptoms of food allergy may not be confined to the gut, and can cause rashes, swelling such as of the face, and in the worst cases anaphylaxis. If you feel that you may have wheat or other grain allergy, talk to your doctor. He can arrange a blood test for these specific IgE antibodies, or arrange referral to an allergy specialist who can perform a more detailed assessment and undertake skin prick testing. It is important to know also that false positive specific IgE antibodies can be found in patients with grass-pollen hay fever.
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2. Can you outgrow or desensitize yourself to coeliac disease?
No. Coeliac disease does not go away. Once you have been diagnosed with celiac disease you will need to follow a gluten-free diet for life. If you start eating gluten again you will again damage the lining of your intestines, it just may take a while for the symptoms to come back.
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3. Do I need to follow a gluten-free diet if I have been diagnosed with coeliac disease but have never had any symptoms?
If you do have a diagnosis of coeliac disease but have no symptoms, it is still recommended that you follow a gluten-free diet. You will still have damaged tissue in your intestines, and you may have malabsorption problems that are causing silent conditions such as osteoporosis. If you have doubts about the accuracy of your diagnosis you may want to work with your doctor to verify the findings.
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4. Can I have Oats in my diet?
This is somewhat controversial. Some experts feel that those with coeliac disease should avoid oats while others believe that most patients can tolerate small amounts of it. They feel that the proteins found in the oats are not contributing significantly to the celiac disease. This is something you should discuss with your doctor and a dieticians.
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