Medical tests for gluten intolerance:

Gluten is a form of protein that is found in some of the main grains like wheat, rye and barley.  It gives the elasticity and water absorbing capability to the flour made with these grains. Gluten intolerance affects people, who are extremely sensitive to gluten. It causes inflammation in the small intestine. If left untreated, it can lead to various other complications like malabsorption, malnutrition, type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. In rare cases, it may lead to certain forms of cancers. It is therefore important to diagnose the disorder and to follow a gluten free diet.

Medical tests to diagnose gluten intolerance:

Gluten intolerance often show symptoms like diarrhea, nausea, anemia, bone pain, constipation, abdominal pain, fatigue and weakness and weight loss. These symptoms are often confused with some other diseases. Medical tests can help to diagnose the disorder clearly.

  • Blood test is the first step to diagnose gluten intolerance or celiac disease. There are panels of possible blood test that your doctor may order. The blood test results will show the levels of certain antibodies – anti-tissue transglutaminase and anti- endomysium which reflects the response of the immune system to gluten in the food. A positive result regarding these antibodies test will indicate that you might have gluten intolerance.  Your physician will probably guide you towards further medical evaluation. It is important not to start gluten free diet before taking the blood test as it might twist the results.
  • If you need further evaluation, your physician will ask you to take a biopsy test of the small intestine to finalize the diagnosis. This biopsy is done by inserting a tube- endoscope – through the mouth, stomach and to the small intestine and taking samples of tissues to check for damage to the villi.

Once the medical tests have shown that the individual has gluten intolerance, it is important to maintain a gluten free diet. Gluten is found in many foods, so it is not easy to stick to a gluten free diet. The sufferers should finalize a diet plan, after consulting his/her physician and dietician.

The sufferer should also get to know which foods and products contain gluten. He/she should develop the habit of reading the label, before using a product. He/she should be careful, while eating in restaurants. Though breads, pastas, pizzas, cookies and many other foods contain gluten, there are a wide range of foods that are free from gluten. The patient can follow a gluten free diet, which includes fish, sea food, poultry, beef, fruits, vegetables, beans, rice, soy, peanuts, almonds, walnuts and sweet potatoes. Nowadays, gluten free breads are available in the market. He/she can consume them too. Lipsticks, stamps and certain medications contain gluten. The individuals suffering from gluten intolerance should not use these products.