Treatment

There is currently no cure for celiac disease. It is a lifelong condition, and a strict gluten-free diet is the only treatment. Once you have this medical diagnosis and remove gluten from your diet, you should start feeling much better.

Gluten-free diet

Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley, so foods containing these should not be consumed. Some people with celiac disease may also be sensitive to oats.

On a gluten-free diet, you can eat rice, corn, potatoes, eggs, nuts, chia, amaranth, buckwheat, quinoa, meat, fish, cheese, milk, eggs, fruits, vegetables, and legumes. Special gluten-free foods, such as gluten-free bread and gluten-free pasta, are available in supermarkets, health food stores, and online shops.

Even very small amounts of gluten can be harmful to people with celiac disease. Therefore, it is important to take reasonable steps to avoid cross-contamination with gluten.

Important tips:

• Switch to a completely gluten-free diet at home to avoid even the smallest risk of cross-contamination. In many cases, this is difficult to achieve in a household where both celiacs and people eating "regular" food live.
• Store cookware separately when preparing and cooking food.
• Do not fry food in the same oil that has been previously used for cooking foods containing gluten.
• Use clean utensils, a separate grill, griddle, or toaster to prepare gluten-free food.
• Use a separate cutting board and clean surfaces thoroughly.
• Use separate spices, butter, and sauces.
• Store gluten-free foods on the top shelves of your cupboards to avoid accidental gluten contamination.
• Use storage containers for your gluten-free food to avoid accidental contamination.
• Do not use the same utensils for spreading butter, jam, chocolate, etc.

How long does it take to see improvement on a gluten-free diet?

The time it takes for someone to feel better on a gluten-free diet varies among individuals. Many people start feeling better within a few days, and symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, and bloating usually improve within a few weeks.

Some symptoms may take longer to improve, or you may notice that one symptom improves before another. The time required for the intestines to heal completely varies between individuals and can take anywhere from six months to five years (or even longer in some cases).

Long-term diet

The diet allows the intestines to heal. If you follow a gluten-free diet and need to be retested for celiac disease, the tests should come back negative. This means that you are responding well to the diet and that no gluten is triggering a reaction in your immune system.

If you reintroduce gluten into your diet later, your immune system will react, symptoms will return, and the intestinal villi will become damaged again.