Madrid (EFE).- The Spanish Foundation of the Digestive System (FEAD) has warned that celiac disease does not always cause digestive symptoms and can be confused with other diseases, for which reason it asks health professionals to become aware of the importance of diagnosing it correctly .
In a statement, on the occasion of International Celiac Day, which is celebrated this Friday, May 5, the representative of the Federation, Francesc Casellas Jordá, has warned of “the great variability of symptoms” of this disease.
Delayed growth in children, anemia, pregnancy problems or dermatitis are some of the non-digestive symptoms that celiac disease can cause, in addition to other more recognizable ones such as weight loss, poor digestion or recurrent tissue lesions. mouth.
Dr. Casellas has asked all specialists to be more aware of the diagnosis of this “silent disease” so as not to delay patient treatment.
Celiac disease screening tests
Given the suspicion of suffering from celiac disease, the FEAD recalls the importance of undergoing screening tests before excluding gluten from the diet, since otherwise it can cause misdiagnosis and other health problems.
“Not only is a poorly indicated, unbalanced and unhealthy diet being followed, but also excluding gluten from the diet has been linked to certain cardiovascular risk factors,” Casellas asserts.
In addition to remembering that being celiac is not a lifestyle, he calls for greater awareness of this disease at an institutional level, “improving the labeling of foods for celiacs and facilitating aid for these patients.”
Celiac disease is an immune disease caused by an abnormal reaction in the intestine to contact with gluten (a protein present in some flours such as wheat or barley).