Question by Julia: How do you know if you have celiac disease without being tested?
I might have it. Or it could just be a gluten allergy. I’m not puking and my skin doesn’t change color. I do get the rash though
Best answer:
Answer by River
Celiac disease is often accompanied by a rash. And, this rash is symmetrical. That is, look for a symmetrical rash on your body.
Not all people with celiac disease get it, and no one has it all the time, but it is still one way to determine if you have it.
Also, with celiac disease, rather than just a gluten sensitivity, you will have weight changes. Some people gain, most people lose. But, there *will* be ongoing weight changes if you have it. You will continue to lose or gain over time regardless of your dietary habits.
Give your answer to this question below!
A rash is an unusual symptom of Celiac Disease. Some people have a skin condition called dermatitis herpetiformis which is associated with Celiac Disease, but it’s rare. Google it and see if it looks like your rash.
Celiac Disease is a diagnosis made based on blood tests and biopsy results. Symptoms make no difference. You can have all the listed symptoms and not have it or you can be completely symptom free and have it.
Celiac Disease and a gluten allergy are VERY different conditions. Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disease where your immune system attacks itself. It causes symptoms like stomach pain, bloating, fatigue and bowel changes. An allergy causes trouble breathing.
Do not change your diet, go to a doctor and get tested.
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You really won’t know if you have celiac disease without being tested. A previous answer says that celiac disease is VERY different from a gluten allergy because allergies affect breathing, but this is incorrect. The two ailments share a lot of symptoms, and breathing is not one of them.
(As a side note, not all allergy symptoms affect breathing. Consider hives, which is a very common allergic reaction. It causes itchy welts, not breathing problems.)
Really, the only way for you to know if you have celiac disease is to be tested. The link below contains details about what to expect for such a test (it says it is for gluten allergy, but it also discusses testing for celiac disease).
It is important that you not stop eating gluten before being tested, because doing so can cause false negative results. Also, if you get a biopsy of your small intestine, make sure the doctor takes at least four different tissue samples from different parts of your small intestine. Damage to the small intestine, which is what happens with celiac disease, can occur in one part of your gut but not the other, so that is why you need multiple samples, to make sure damaged tissue is found.