Gluten Intolerance: Symptoms, Test, Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity (2024)

FAQs

Gluten Intolerance: Symptoms, Test, Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity? ›

Currently, there is no test for gluten sensitivity. People with digestive symptoms that suggest celiac disease should see a gastroenterologist to determine their risk for either celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

Currently, there is no test for gluten sensitivity. People with digestive symptoms that suggest celiac disease should see a gastroenterologist to determine their risk for either celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) is a condition characterized by intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms related to the ingestion of gluten-containing foods in the absence of celiac disease and wheat allergy.

tTG-IgA Test. For most children and adults, the best way to test for celiac disease is with the Tissue Transglutaminase IgA antibody (tTG-IgA), plus an IgA antibody in order to ensure that the patient generates enough of this antibody to render the celiac disease test accurate.

Non-celiac gluten sensitivity causes some signs and symptoms associated with celiac disease — including abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhea, constipation, "foggy brain," rash or headache — even though there is no damage to the tissues of the small intestine.

There's no question that gluten can affect your neurological system: people with both celiac disease and non-celiac gluten sensitivity report symptoms that range from headaches and brain fog to peripheral neuropathy (tingling in your extremities).

The symptoms of gluten intolerance may also resemble those of a wheat allergy or intestinal conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Experts estimate that 10–15% of adults in the U.S. have IBS symptoms.

There's no cure for gluten intolerance. But most people find relief from symptoms by following a gluten-free diet. You should work with your healthcare provider and a dietitian to plan your diet. You can also ask your healthcare provider about adding probiotics to your diet.

NCGS has an immune-related background. Indeed there is a strong evidence that a selective activation of innate immunity may be the trigger for NCGS inflammatory response. The most commonly autoimmune disorders associated to NCGS are Hashimoto thyroiditis, dermatitis herpetiformis, psoriasis and rheumatologic diseases.

Absence of reliable biomarkers and the fact that some people do not have digestive symptoms make the recognition and diagnosis of non-celiac gluten sensitivity (NCGS) difficult. Diagnosis is generally performed only by exclusion criteria.

What is the gold standard test for gluten intolerance? ›

An intestinal (duodenal) biopsy is considered the “gold standard” for diagnosis because it will tell you (1) if you have celiac disease, (2) if your symptoms improve on a gluten-free diet due to a placebo effect (you feel better because you think you should) or (3) if you have a different gastrointestinal disorder or ...

To get a reliable result you should have been eating gluten for more than one meal a day for six weeks, so it's easy to see how someone could fall below this. If you weren't eating gluten at the time of your blood test, or you had limited your gluten intake, you may have received an inaccurate result.

Gluten sensitivity shares many symptoms with celiac disease. However, individuals with non-celiac gluten sensitivity have more extraintestinal or non-GI symptoms, such as headache, brain fog, joint pain, and numbness in the legs, arms or fingers. Symptoms typically appear hours or days after gluten has been consumed.

Celiac disease is an illness caused by an immune reaction to eating gluten. Gluten is a protein found in foods containing wheat, barley or rye. If you have celiac disease, eating gluten triggers an immune response to the gluten protein in your small intestine.

While neither of these terms are well defined within the medical community, many consider gluten sensitivity to be a milder form of gluten intolerance. For example, someone who experiences mild symptoms triggered by gluten consumption that resolve quickly may be diagnosed with gluten sensitivity.

Serology testing looks for antibodies in your blood. Elevated levels of certain antibody proteins indicate an immune reaction to gluten. Genetic testing for human leukocyte antigens (HLA-DQ2 and HLA-DQ8) can be used to rule out celiac disease.

There's no definitive test for gluten sensitivity. If you suspect your symptoms are related to gluten in the foods you eat, the best treatment is to change your diet. Since gluten is the protein found in wheat, barley, and rye, these are foods you'd need to eliminate.

Keep in mind that going gluten-free before being tested for celiac disease can prevent diagnosis. However, people who have already adopted the gluten-free diet without having been tested for celiac disease can undergo a”gluten challenge” in order to receive accurate test results.