Celiac disease affects 1 in every 100 people worldwide, causing severe gluten sensitivities in so much of the population.
It is easily treated by a gluten-free diet if it is diagnosed early at an early stage. Since young professionals or students are so busy, they might not realize how vital it is to get tested.
Being a student is hard. One has to worry about getting to class on time, managing friendships, making money, and checking in with family every once in a while.
The responsibilities of a student are endless, so it is no surprise that they overlook their health. They might have every intention to eat better, but pizza and ramen are so much cheaper than fresh produce.
There isn’t much time for working out with homework, classes and work to worry about.
The furthest thing from the mind of a student is probably celiac disease, but it is a very real ailment that many young Americans suffer from.
The following five reasons will be enough to convince the overwhelmed student or youngster to get tested for celiac disease.
- There is no Single Cause of the Disease
There is no way to know if you have celiac disease until you get tested for it. Certain factors could increase the risk that you have the disease, but there is no set cause of celiac.
Celiac disease is genetic, so if a parent or sibling has celiac there is a good chance you might, too.
The presence of celiac disease might also be influenced by foods that are high in gluten, but this is not always the case.
The odds could be stacked against you and you might not have celiac. You might also do everything right health-wise and still get diagnosed with the disease.
The best way to find out if you are likely to have it or not is to get tested. Testing is easier than ever before with the imawareTM at-home celiac disease test. This simple test checks for certain biomarkers in your body that indicate celiac disease. If the test comes back saying you might have celiac, it is best to talk to your doctor about diagnosis and a treatment plan.
The test can easily be sent to your home so you don’t have to waste time waiting for a doctor’s appointment.
Even if you don’t identify with any of the risk factors, it’s a great idea to get tested to be safe.
2. You Could Have it and Not Realize It
Celiac disease is not always simple to identify. Symptoms aren’t the easiest to spot because they are different for everybody.
While the number of people that have celiac disease is only about 1 percent of the world’s population, about 97 percent of those people do not know they have it.
If you don’t know you have celiac disease, you will continue to eat gluten-filled foods that make your symptoms worse.
Since celiac disease is genetic, there is a chance that one day, when you have kids, they will also have the disease. Knowing that you have it will protect their future.
It is safest to get tested as soon as possible to start treatment earlier. It will make you feel better physically and put your mind at ease for the future.
3. It Can Cause Serious Stomach Issues
The celiac disease comes with a handful of different symptoms that range from mild discomfort to severe pain.
Stomach issues are one of the most common symptoms of the disease. Though milder than other awful symptoms, they could get in the way of your social life and well-being.
Diarrhea, nausea, and bloating are all commonly associated with celiac disease. You could experience all of these at once, especially after ingesting high amounts of gluten.
There is also a chance you’ll only experience one of these symptoms, or even none at all. That is why it is so difficult to diagnose celiac without a test.
According to Healthcare Weekly, some serious symptoms of celiac disease include anemia, painful skin rash, infertility, and low bone density.
To reduce your chances of experiencing any of these symptoms, or if you are currently experiencing any of them, it is in your best interest to take a simple test.
4. It’s Easier to Treat an Early Diagnosis
Diagnosing celiac is hard. It is made much simpler through testing.
Since symptoms vary and can be sporadic, doctors don’t always attribute the symptoms that patients show to celiac disease.
When celiac disease is caught earlier on in life, symptoms can be easily managed by a gluten-free diet.
If it is left untreated, celiac disease will continue to wreak havoc on the body. It can cause more serious issues down the line, like damage to the small intestine, heart disease, and vitamin deficiencies.
Getting tested could lead to an earlier diagnosis to reduce the risk of serious health issues.
Even if a doctor doesn’t mention the possibility of celiac disease at first, it won’t do any harm to test yourself. It is always better to be safe than sorry.
5. Mental Illness is Associated with Celiac Disease
While there are many physical symptoms of celiac disease, there are also mental disorders associated with the disease.
Depression can be a symptom of celiac disease that could subside once the disease is treated. It is the leading psychological sign of celiac disease but is not the most common symptom.
When it isn’t present with other celiac disease symptoms, celiac is not always the first reason attributed to depression. However, more adults with celiac disease have reported signs of depression than otherwise healthy adults.
Rather than the risk of being medicated for a mental illness, a gluten-free diet could be the way to feel better both physically and psychologically.
Get tested for celiac disease before your mental health declines alongside your physical health.
Don’t let the stresses of work, high school or college life keep you from neglecting your health. If you experience any of the symptoms of celiac disease, it is simple to test yourself from your dorm room or home before visiting a doctor.