The associations of celiac disease of the country require the Government to accelerate the diagnostic systems of this disease, since 2014 have been increasing the number of people affected by poisoning after the intake of gluten-free foods outside the home. The increase in gluten poisoning outside the home has increased more than one 60% in recent times. Be celiac it implies having a permanent gluten intolerance of wheat, barley, rye and oats. It comes in genetically predisposed individuals, and is characterized by an inflammatory, immune-based reaction in the mucosa of the small intestine that hinders the absorption of macro and micronutrients. Although it can often be asymptomatic, patients often suffer weight loss, loss of appetite, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, irritation and general malaise.
The celiac must have a diet based on natural foods (legumes, meat and fish, eggs, fruit, vegetables and gluten-free cereals). Packaged and processed foods should be avoided, since in these it is more difficult to guarantee the absence of gluten. The ingestion of small amounts of gluten, in a continuous way, causes the deterioration of the intestinal villi. As a consequence, a defect can occur in the intestinal area and, if you do not know it and change your eating habits, it can lead to a series of serious risks since it can cause depression, infertility o diabetes. Therefore, the problem is quite serious considering that more than 80% of affected people are unaware that they suffer from celiac disease.
In Canary Islandsmore than 20.000 people are celiac. In this sense, the Canarian Government coordinates a Protocol of action for the early diagnosis of celiac disease. The protocol contemplates the assistance to people of any age with suspicion or risk of suffering from the disease. It focuses mainly on early detection but also addresses key issues that affect the care of celiac people related to treatment, clinical monitoring of patients, refractoriness and malignancy. For example, the presence of specific circulating antibodies, when the patient is consuming gluten, and their disappearance after suppressing it from the diet is a biological fact that supports the diagnosis.
A strict diet without gluten leads to the disappearance of symptoms, normalization of serological tests and resolution of histological lesions in the vast majority of patients. It is essential to carry out a clinical follow-up of the patients, in order to monitor and assess the evolution of symptoms and compliance with the diet and to control growth in children.