Celiac disease, which is a severe intolerance to gluten (the major storage protein in wheat and similar proteins in barley and rye resulting in intestinal damage) is estimated to affect 1 in 133 people in the U.S. and approximately 1/100 worldwide. Most of these people are undiagnosed. Many are being treated for reflux, irritable bowel syndrome, gas-bloat dyspepsia, lactose intolerance, or just suffering ill health unaware that a gluten free diet (GFD) might relieve their symptoms if not improve them significantly.
Dyspepsia is a medical term for stomach upset, indigestion or gas-bloat abdominal discomfort. This commonly occurs in celiac disease. Stomach contractions have been shown to be impaired in celiac disease contributing to the bloating sensation. This is confirmed by diagnostic studies revealing poor stomach emptying. Delayed stomach emptying is frequently accompanied by low pressures in the lower esophageal sphincter (LES) of the esophagus or swallowing tube. The LES is supposed to be a barrier to regurgitation of stomach contents up into the esophagus. When stomach juice that is acidic refluxes into the esophagus a burning pain is typically felt in the chest that is described by most people as heartburn.
• It is a digestive disease that causes damage to the small intestine and inhibits the absorption of nutrients.
• It is a type of autoimmune disorder.
• It is a real hassle.
Autoimmune disorders occur due to a lack in cell-to-cell communication. When your own cells fail to recognize neighbor cells as "self", this is not normal... and results in an immune response AGAINST your own cells. This is not good!

Celiac Disease Diagnosis
Waiting for a celiac disease diagnosis? Have you been feeling ill for a while? Have all the classic symptoms of celiac disease? Sometimes getting as far as a clear diagnosis can feel like it takes forever. Keep going! It's worth doing it the end - for your own peace of mind at finally discovering what the problem is as well as for your health.
The first stage in celiac disease diagnosis is usually a simple blood test. If celiac disease is present, the
body's defence mechanisms will have been attacking the gluten cells in the intestines (thus damaging the intestines). A simple (and cheap) blood test is initially necessary to determine whether those defensive antibodies are there.
This blood test, however, does not lead to a definitive celiac disease diagnosis. A positive result can
sometimes be caused by other things so it is said only to show a likelihood of celiac disease.
The next stage is a more complicated procedure, whereby an endoscopy determines whether or not damage has been done to the lining of the intestines, and the extent of that damage. This gives a clear celiac disease diagnosis.
Celiac disease as defined by strict criteria but it is not a gold standard for detecting gluten sensitivity. This fact is appreciated by many individuals who have respond to a gluten-free diet they start
based on their symptoms, family history, suggestive blood test or stool antibody
test(s).
Another source of confusion is in the genetics of Celiac and gluten sensitivity.
Testing for specific blood type patterns on white blood cells known as HLA
DQ2 and DQ8 is increasingly being employed to determine if a person carries either of the two gene
pattern present in 95-98% of Celiacs and predisposing them to the development of Celiac disease.