Here's why the procedure is so crucial.
After asking her followers for tips for healing a black eye, Mandy Moore is back on Instagram talking about another health issue: Over the weekend, the 33-year-old actress and singer documented a medical procedure needed to diagnose celiac disease.
The video, which she posted to Instagram stories, shows her decked out in a hospital gown and surgical cap. “Grog City. Just had an upper endoscopy to officially see whether or not I have celiac (only way to officially diagnose)….things are looking [okay emoji],” she says in the video, per Entertainment Tonight.
Moore hasn't shared the results of her test yet, but here's what you need to know about the process of diagnosing celiac.
Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes damage to the small intestine.
Defined as an autoimmune and digestive disorder, celiac disease alters the way a patient's body reacts to gluten. After someone with celiac eats gluten (a protein that is found in wheat, barley, and rye), their immune system responds by attacking the tissues of their small intestine, according to the Celiac Disease Foundation.
It’s estimated that one in 141 Americans have celiac disease, although many have not been diagnosed (despite the rising popularity of gluten-free foods). It is more common in Caucasians and has shown to be more prevalent in women. And since celiac disease is hereditary, those with a first-degree relative who’s been diagnosed with this disorder have a one in ten chance of developing it themselves.
Celiac causes the body to produce antibodies to gluten, which causes damage to the lining of the small intestine. That, in turn, leads to the common signs and symptoms of celiac, such as diarrhea, abdominal bloating, malabsorption of nutrients, and weight loss.
Before going gluten-free, you'll need to get a blood test.
It's highly likely that Moore’s doctors had already given her a series of blood tests, which are usually the first step in diagnosing this condition. “They’re looking for the antibodies to gluten,” Anton J. Bilchik, M.D, professor of surgery and chief of gastrointestinal research at John Wayne Cancer Institute at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, tells SELF. Although a blood test can't definitively prove someone has celiac on its own, a negative result is a very reliable indicator that they don't have the disease.
If your blood test shows that you do have antibodies to gluten, there's about a 75 percent change that you have celiac, Dr. Bilchik previously told SELF. At that point, you might feel the urge to jump on the gluten-free bandwagon, but the Mayo Clinic recommends waiting until you have an actual diagnosis. So, to confirm the diagnosis, your doctor will send you for a biopsy, which can only be performed via an endoscopy.
An upper endoscopy, also referred to as an upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy, is a relatively low-risk procedure that allows doctors to get a look at the damage to your small intestine, Dr. Bilchik says. It involves inserting a flexible tube with a light down the throat in order for the physician to see the stomach, as well as the first part of the small intestine (the duodenum). In most cases, patients receive a sedative to help them stay calm throughout the procedure as well as a local numbing spray or liquid to relax the throat.
If the results of the biopsy confirm that a patient has celiac disease, a strict change in diet will help heal the damage in the small intestine.
“Their doctor will usually recommend going on a gluten-free diet," Dr. Bilchik says. With that, symptoms can improve pretty quickly, even within a couple of weeks.
Patients with more severe intestinal damage may require medications to help it heal or vitamins to treat nutritional deficiencies. Unfortunately, there's no cure for celiac, so it's important to work with your doctor to find a management plan that works for you.
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