TIL Desk Lucknow/ An awareness program was organised at Medanta Hospital on the occasion of World Celiac Disease Awareness Day. Consultant, Paediatric Gastroenterology, Dr. Durga Prasad made people aware about the Celiac disease and ways to avoid it. He explained that Celiac disease is a chronic digestive and immune disorder that damages the small intestine. The disease is triggered by eating foods containing gluten (wheat, barley, and rye). Gluten is a type of protein found mainly in wheat, barley, and rye and is our staple diet in northern India, therefore Celiac is found in 1 to 2 percent of the population. Although this disease is more common in children, it can also occur in adults. Celiac has a negative impact on children’s development. Consultants of Gastroenterology, Dr. Alok Kumar and Dr. Ajay Kumar were also present in the program and the children and their parents who were cured of this disease at Medanta Hospital also shared their experiences.
Dr. Durga Prasad said, “Celiac damages the intestines. Due to improper digestion of food, symptoms like diarrhoea, growth spurt, abdominal pain, flatulence and abdominal bloating start to occur. Apart from this, symptoms like fatigue, vomiting, nausea and weakness may also be seen in some patients. These symptoms are more common in children than in adults. This condition can become quite serious in children if not diagnosed in time.
The development of children starts slowing down due to celiac disease. In children, symptoms like irritability, bone pain, skin scars, hair loss, tingling in hands and feet, fatigue and headache, depression, difficulty in concentrating, etc are seen. When a close family member, such as a parent, has celiac disease, the child is more likely to have it. Children of families with celiac disease are up to 10 times more likely to develop the disease.”
“To prevent celiac disease, a special diet chart is prepared and the parents have to adhere to it strictly. Consumption of foods made from wheat, rye, barley such as bread, pasta, biscuits, cakes and cookies should be avoided. Also avoid consumption of soy sauce, canned soup and ice cream. Chutneys, condiments and ketchup also contain gluten, so you should avoid them as well.” Children suffering from celiac disease and their parents shared their experiences in the program. Dr Durga said that the children had to face the difficulties due to the seemingly simple disease.
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