If you have celiac disease and eat gluten, it triggers an immune response that damages your small intestine. This can lead to a wide range of symptoms — and potentially serious long-term health issues — if left untreated.
Unfortunately, the condition is on the rise. The Celiac Disease Foundation shares that celiac disease rates have increased by 7.5% each year for the past several decades.
If you’re experiencing digestive symptoms, you might wonder if you’re included in that statistic. Looking at your symptoms alone can’t confirm or rule out celiac disease. The only way to know for sure if you have celiac disease is through testing, including blood work and an upper endoscopy.
In the meantime, read on as our Las Vegas Gastroenterology team shares signs that may prompt you to get tested for celiac disease and how we diagnose the condition.
Celiac disease doesn’t always look the same from person to person. Some people experience clear digestive symptoms, while others might have symptoms that seem unrelated to the gut.
You might have celiac disease if you notice:
Children may show signs like delayed growth, irritability, or failure to thrive.
If you have persistent symptoms or a family history of celiac disease, you should get tested. Our team at Las Vegas Gastroenterology uses blood tests to screen for specific antibodies linked to celiac disease.
If results are positive, we may need an upper endoscopy with a small bowel biopsy to confirm the diagnosis.
Important: Don’t stop eating gluten before your test, because it can affect your results. Talk to us first if you have concerns about your diet and testing requirements.
During an upper endoscopy, Noel Fajardo, MD, or Filippo Cremonini, MD, uses a thin, flexible tube with a camera to examine the inside of your small intestine. They take small tissue samples (biopsies) from the lining of your small intestine to look for damage to the villi — the tiny finger-like projections that help absorb nutrients.
In people with celiac disease, these villi are often flattened or inflamed due to the body’s immune response to gluten. Seeing this kind of damage under a microscope helps our team confirm the diagnosis and guides the next steps in your care.
The tTG-IgA test — one of tests used to assess for celiac disease — can be inaccurate, especially if you’re not eating a gluten-containing diet when you’re tested. In fact, this test is positive in about 93% of patients with celiac disease who are on a gluten-containing diet. That leaves 7% of people with celiac disease undiagnosed.
To compound matters, people with autoimmune disorders like Type 1 diabetes may have a higher risk for inaccurate results.
This is why blood tests and upper endoscopies are so helpful in getting the answers you need.
Without treatment, celiac disease can lead to serious complications like malnutrition, osteoporosis, missed periods (and fertility issues), or even certain types of cancer.
The good news? Celiac disease is manageable. Once you’re diagnosed, a strict gluten-free diet allows your intestine to heal and helps you feel better.
If you're experiencing any gastrointestinal symptoms — whether you think they’re related to celiac disease or not — give us a call at 702-463-6900. Our team can get the testing and the answers you need.
You can also use our online system to request an appointment at either of our Las Vegas, Nevada, locations.
