La Jolla Senior Care News

Caring for an Elder who has Celiac Disease

Elderly Care in Coronado CA

Elderly Care in Coronado CA

Elderly Care in Coronado CACeliac disease is usually diagnosed early in life during a person’s adolescent or teenage years. However, more and more seniors are being diagnosed with this condition. Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition that occurs when someone has trouble ingesting gluten, which is a protein found in a variety of foods, like breads and pasta.

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.

Brittnei Salerno

Recent Posts

Categories

Contact Us About Home Care

Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
Name
Checkboxes
READ/AGREE WITH THIS STATEMENT: I understand that I will be receiving a call and emails from a staff member of La Jolla Nurses Homecare. The purpose of the call is to understand more about my senior care needs. There is no obligation to purchase any services. You agree to receive automated messages. This agreement is not a condition of purchase. Receive up to 2 messages per month. Reply STOP to opt-out or HELP for help. Message & data rates apply. Terms and privacy policy found here.
Skip to content