Doctors can perform various tests to determine if a patient has gluten intolerance or celiac disease, including blood, stool, saliva, and biopsy tests. Eliminating gluten from the diet can also be a self-test.
There are several types of gluten intolerance tests that doctors can perform to determine whether a patient actually has an intolerance to gluten-containing food products. Some tests will show that a patient not only has a gluten intolerance, but also has celiac disease. Other tests will indicate that a person does indeed have a gluten allergy, which can be more serious than an intolerance. Some doctors will use a gluten intolerance screen, which may contain more than one test to get the most accurate results.
One way doctors test for gluten intolerance is by taking a simple blood test. This is where the patient’s blood will be drawn in a laboratory and the doctor will analyze it later. Your doctor will look for high levels of specific autoantibodies in your blood which could be a sign of gluten intolerance or celiac disease. A blood test can be done quickly, but the patient may need further tests depending on the results.
One of the gluten intolerance tests that can be used is a stool test. Patients provide a stool sample and the doctor looks for certain reactions to proteins in gluten that may be seen in a patient’s stool. Some doctors believe this is better than a blood test because it shows exactly what’s going on in the patient’s intestines, where gluten reacts.
A saliva test for gluten intolerance can provide information about a patient’s genes. This test can show a positive result that a patient has the genes that can cause a gluten sensitivity or celiac disease. Saliva gluten intolerance tests don’t give a definitive answer, so if this genetic test comes back positive, most doctors will order more tests.
If any of these gluten intolerance tests come back with a positive result, many doctors will take a biopsy of the small intestine. This is a procedure where your doctor will remove a small piece of tissue from your intestines. The sample is then evaluated for damage caused by gluten.
Another type of biopsy used to determine gluten sensitivity or celiac disease is a skin biopsy. Some people with celiac disease have a skin condition called dermatitis herpetiformis. This condition causes rashes and itchy skin. A biopsy can confirm the diagnosis of dermatitis herpetiformis.
Testing for gluten intolerance can cost money and time, but it will let a patient know if they have a problem with gluten. A less invasive way to test for gluten intolerance is to eliminate all gluten-containing food items from a person’s diet. This is a self-test where the patient no longer eats gluten for approximately 12-16 weeks. During that time, the patient can keep a diary about how they are feeling and any changes in their medical condition.
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