Elderly Care in Coronado CA
Even if your elderly parent has been eating gluten for their entire life with no symptoms of celiac disease, they could still develop the disease later in life. If your loved one has it, they can still lead normal lives, but will need to make adjustments to their diet. Professional caregivers can help with this by assisting with the grocery shopping and meal preparations.
Symptoms
Some of the most common symptoms of celiac disease include:
- Muscle cramps
- Joint pain
- Irritability
- Tingling in the lower extremities
- Anemia
- Fatigue
- Depression
Diagnosis
Getting a formal diagnosis of this disease can take several years. According to the Celiac Disease Center at Columbia University, it takes approximately nine years to get diagnosed after the start of the symptoms. When the doctor is examining the elder for celiac disease, there are three types of diagnostic tests they may want to run, such as:
- Getting a closer look at the villi. A biopsy of skin from the small intestine may be needed to look for any injured villi.
- Abnormal amount of antibodies. This can be discovered by getting a blood test.
- A special camera. A camera that appears in the shape of a pill that can be swallowed will be used in the small intestine to capture images in the inside of it.
According to the National Institutes of Health, about 34 percent who are diagnosed with celiac disease are over the age of 60. The only thing someone with this condition needs to do to protect their health is to avoid gluten. However, this is easier said than done since gluten is found in almost every type of food, like foods that contain wheat, rye, and barley, bread, and pasta.
Since more people are aware of the dangers gluten can have on their health, more and more people, both with celiac disease and without it, are switching to a gluten-free lifestyle. Doing so will help the colon relax and help the small intestine heal. Depending on the damage that has been done, it can take anywhere from a few years to a few months to heal.
For more information about how the caregivers at La Jolla Nurses Homecare can help your aging parents remain in their own homes, call 858-454-9339. We are a home care agency providing quality and affordable elderly care in Coronado, CA, and the surrounding communities.
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