Screening for Celiac Disease

In approximately a month, I will be traveling to Italy for a workshop on "Non-Standard Methods for PDEs". While the trip sounds super exciting, in the past few weeks, I started becoming nervous about my travels abroad. Notably, I was concerned about what I, as a celiac sufferer, could eat in the land of pasta and bread. Thankfully, I recently found out Italy is a haven for celiacs. Nearly every pharmacy in Italy has an aisle or two dedicated to gluten-free food, and most chefs in the country will prepare gluten-free pasta if requested to do so. Celiacs are given two paid days a month to shop for grocerties, and further, they are given financial aid to offset the high cost of gluten-free items. Reading all this again makes me wonder if I shouldn't just stay in Italy while I am there =P. Finally, children in Italy are screened for celiac disease by the age of five.

In the United States, celiac screening is not a common occurrence. I had been tested for just about every other digestive disorder before a doctor even suggested celiac disease. I was diagnosed with IBS and lactose intolerance, and while I adjusted my diet accordingly, nothing seemed to help. Luckily, celiac is now more widely recognized. Many grocery stores have gluten-free sections, May has become celiac awareness month, etc. Still, I believe more progress must be made. Children are usually only screened if there is a family history of celiac or if other underlying conditions (such as Type 1 Diabetes or Downs Syndrome) exist. Children and adults are most often misdiagnosed in the presence of digestive symptoms. This needs to be changed. Celiac disease can cause a multitude of issues down the road, not the least being colon or bowel cancer. I believe doctors in the United States need to be educated on celiac and that they should take the initiative with regards to screening for celiac and other common diseases. Finally, I believe that mass screening, as is done in Italy, might be a viable and cost-effective option.