The numbers game…

Did you know that 1/133 Americans has celiac disease? Thats huge! The sad fact though is that 85% of them are still unaware of their diagnosis. I cannot stress enough how important it is to be tested. I dealt with celiac disease for YEARS before having a diagnosis. As a physician, I can tell you how little doctors learn about CD in medical school. At that time (and it wasn’t that long ago!) it was either overlooked or seen as unimportant because it was “rare.” Yes, rare.  Does 1/133 sound rare? That goes to show how much we have learned about the disease in just a few years. Doctors are now more aware and the idea of “gluten free” is not nearly as daunting as it had once been. While at one time I dreaded going out and dealing with the confused face of the waiter when I asked for a gluten free option, I can now go to a baseball game, order a gluten free beer or cider and enjoy a hot dog! Amazing!
Now some other quick facts for you. Did you know that the number of men and women with celiac disease is essentially equal? However, us ladies are diagnosed more frequently than our men! We tend to go to the doctor more and we are more upfront with our physicians about our ailments. Lesson here girls? Get our boys to the doctor! STAT!