Dylan Dreyer’s Hidden Struggle: Understanding Celiac Disease and Raising Awareness
The Diagnosis
After a year of seemingly endless stomach pain and other complications, Dylan Dreyer and her husband finally found an answer for their son Calvin’s health issues. As reported by TODAY, Calvin was diagnosed with celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder that causes the body to react poorly to gluten – a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye.
Dylan Dreyer and Calvin have started a segment on the TODAY show called “Cooking with Cal”, to not only help others become familiar with gluten-free options but to also raise awareness about celiac disease. In an interview, Dreyer mentioned that it was a challenge to find a doctor who was able to diagnose the problem early on. She encourages parents not to give up, and to make sure that they find health care professionals that can help catch celiac disease or any other health issue that their children may face.
What is Celiac Disease?
According to Dr. Lisa Fahey, co-director of the celiac Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, celiac disease is different from wheat allergy or gluten intolerance. Wheat allergy causes an allergic response that may require an Epipen while gluten intolerance causes gastrointestinal symptoms but does not damage the intestinal lining. Fahey indicated that “celiac disease is an autoimmune condition where the body’s fighting against itself. In this condition, eating gluten triggers an immune response, and that can create a variety of symptoms for patients.”
Symptoms of celiac disease can include vomiting, stomach pain, diarrhea, bloating, lack of appetite, constipation, irritability, headaches, rash, stunted growth, brain fog, and sleep problems. Not every child will have all the symptoms, but this does not mean that gluten is not harming them. Therefore, it is essential to understand if there is a family history of celiac disease. If a parent has it, children should be screened to prevent long-term effects.
Treatment and Living with Celiac Disease
Treating celiac disease involves removing gluten from the diet. This means avoiding foods that contain wheat, barley, and rye. Dreyer mentioned that she had to throw out any kitchen items that could possibly be contaminated with gluten – including wooden spoons, wooden cutting boards, and any cooking pots with scratched surfaces.
Living with celiac disease can be challenging, but people can still enjoy food. Dreyer mentioned that there are a lot of recipes available that do not include gluten. In fact, experimenting with different gluten-free flours and products has become social media-worthy, as seen on “Cooking with Cal”.
Knowing the hidden struggle of parents like Dylan Dreyer, raising awareness about celiac disease is crucial. This is especially true for parents whose children may display similar symptoms. Finally, it is important to note the value of finding healthcare professionals who can catch celiac disease early on and assist in the treatment process.
<< photo by National Cancer Institute >>
