Celiac Facts for Patients

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• Introduction

  
  Welcome to the Online Course 
  "Celiac Facts for Patients"

  

  You may have accessed this e-learning because you (or your child) have been diagnosed by celiac disease. Or maybe a close relative, friend or colleague told you about her or his celiac condition recently. The following units of this e-module aim at giving you the most important information on celiac disease, including its diagnosis, treatment and impacts on daily life. The better one knows about the disease, the easier it will become to keep the gluten-free diet and to accept it. Moreover, it is very important not to only rely on healthcare professionals, but to be actively involved when it comes to the prevention of long-term health consequences and monitoring of celiac disease. Always keep in mind: as long as you keep the gluten-free diet, you can live a healthy life!
  

  
  

  This video gives you a first overview of the topics that will be covered in more detail in the following units:
  

      

      
  

    Useful hint: you may also show this video to your family, friends and colleagues when talking about your celiac disease for the first time. 

  The video may also be useful to explain celiac disease to your child.

  • And now - let's get started

    
    

    This module contains four separate units which can be worked through in your preferred order. For the best understanding of the topic, we recommend to follow the units in the proposed sequence.

    

                                 

    

                

    Please click here to see an overview of the contents of this online course

• Unit 1 Understanding Celiac Disease

  
  • Unit 1 - Understanding Celiac Disease

    

    Do you know what gluten is and why it is so common in our food? 
    Why does gluten cause celiac disease? 
    How many people actually have celiac disease? 
    What are the reasons that some people get celiac disease and others do not, although they all consume gluten? 
    

    And why is the gluten-free diet still the only but very effective treatment? 

    These and many more questions will be explained and answered in the following Unit 1. If you are new in the celiac world, you will learn about all important basics here. However, even if you are already experienced, there might be some interesting additional information for you, allowing you to recapture and to understand the whole story and the relationship between gluten, genes and immune system even better. Click on the links below to explore the lessons and self-assessments. Either complete all lessons from the beginning or just choose whatever may be of interest to you.
    

    And now... let's get started!

    

    

    
    

    

    
    

    
    

    Overview of the contents and learning aims of Unit 1

  • Dictionary, References & Legal Notice

  • Dictionary Glossar
  • References Datei

• Unit 2 Diagnosing Celiac Disease

  Dieser Abschnitt
  
  • Unit 2 - Diagnosing Celiac Disease

    For the diagnosis of celiac disease, different tests are needed. As they all have some pitfalls, it is sometimes difficult to confirm a diagnosis of celiac disease.
    

    

    When symptoms indicate celiac disease, testing usually starts with taking a blood sample. When the blood test points towards celiac disease, the suspicion usually needs to be confirmed by upper endoscopy with biopsies. This procedure allows the doctor to look inside a patient’s stomach and upper part of the intestine. During the procedure tiny tissue samples are taken from the intestinal mucosa, which are then examined under a microscope. With this procedure, the doctor can see if there is tissue damage and inflammation typical for celiac disease. Other tests only have to be performed under special conditions. In adults with abdominal complains the first diagnostic step may be the upper endoscopy with biopsies. If the microscopic examination indicates celiac disease, the diagnosis must be confirmed by a blood test. In children with suspicion for celiac disease, diagnosis may be made without endoscopy and biopsies in some cases, but only if certain conditions are fulfilled.  

    Sometimes, all symptoms point towards celiac disease while all tests are normal. In this case, it is possible that someone experiences symptoms related to wheat or gluten or other foods without having celiac disease. These conditions also need to be confirmed or ruled out by a specialist.  

    

    
    

    

    
    

    Overview of the contents and learning aims of Unit 2 

  • Dictionary, References & Legal Notice

  • Dictionary Glossar
  • References Datei

• Unit 3 Treatment of Celiac Disease

  
  Unit 3 - Treatment of Celiac Disease

  The only available treatment for celiac disease is a strict and lifelong gluten-free diet. Under the gluten-free diet, symptoms will improve in most cases, the antibody levels will gradually normalize and the intestine will mostly recover.
  

  Since gluten is contained in a wide variety of commonly eaten foods, the necessary dietary adjustments after a confirmed diagnosis can be challenging. Good knowledge on the gluten-free diet and its implications on daily routines are essential to avoid dietary mistakes and involuntary gluten ingestion. Part of the required knowledge is to know how gluten-free foods need to be labeled in order to choose safe options.
  

  With the gluten-free diet, all nutrient requirements can be met and dietary supplements are usually not necessary. Although generally healthy, the gluten-free diet requires more considerate food choices than a normal diet, especially when certain co-morbidities or lifestyle choices are present as well. The risk of nutrient deficiencies or excesses can be minimized when considerate food choices are made.

  
  

  

                                     
  

  

  
  

  
  

  Overview of the contents and learning aims of Unit 3 

  • Dictionary, References & Legal Notice

  • Dictionary Glossar
  • References Datei

• Unit 4 Living with Celiac Disease

  
  

  Unit 4 - Living with Celiac Disease

  After being diagnosed with celiac disease, many different emotions, ranging from relieve to anger and frustration may come up. Being diagnosed with a chronic disease requires emotional adjustment. For some patients, this might be easier than for others. 
  

  In any case, the diagnosis should not take control over the patient’s life. Therefore, everyone needs to find his or her personal way to deal with the new situation. There is no “one size fits all” strategy, but some behaviors are generally considered to be helpful mechanisms for many celiac patients: learning about celiac disease, telling others and joining support groups are just some examples. 

  In the long-term, it is necessary to monitor celiac disease as well as associated comorbidities and complications regularly. This reduces the risk for long-term health complications and can improve the quality of life.

                                         
  

        
  

                                     

   
  

            
  

  Overview of the contents and learning aims of Unit 4
  

  • Dictionary Glossar
  • References Datei