• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Strength and Sunshine
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Celiac Disease & Food Allergies
  • Coaching
  • Media & Press
  • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • About
  • Recipes
  • Celiac Disease & Food Allergies
  • Coaching
  • Media & Press
  • Contact
    • Privacy Policy
×
Home » Gluten-Free Living » Why & How To Get Screened & Tested For Celiac Disease

Why & How To Get Screened & Tested For Celiac Disease

Published: May 24, 2016 · Modified: Jul 23, 2017 by Rebecca Pytell · This post may contain affiliate links.

Wondering what's involved with the why & how behind getting screened & tested for celiac disease? Here's what you need to know to help demystify the process you must take before going gluten-free for good!

Why & How To Get Screened & Tested For Celiac Disease | Strength and Sunshine @RebeccaGF666 Wondering what's involved with the why & how behind getting screened & tested for celiac disease? Here's what you need to know to help demystify the process you must take before going gluten-free for good!

Now that we know what celiac disease is, that it's not a food allergy, and the symptoms, now it's time to learn just why and how celiac disease screening and testing happens. The key here is BEFORE, I repeat, BEFORE you go gluten-free, the only way to ever know and get an accurate, credible, medical diagnosis is to get tested while gluten is still being consumed and possibly wreaking havoc on the system. If you start your gluten-free lifestyle before you get this diagnosis by a professional, forget about getting special accommodations when they are truly needed (i.e. in college, school, the workplace).

There are two essential parts to being tested. The first is Serologic Blood Panels, if those yield positive or questionable results, then the small intestinal biopsy will be performed to confirm a celiac diagnosis. After those two are run, it is beneficial to get the genetic test. This will not only confirm further for you, but also be good for your first degree family members (if they get tested as well) to see if they carry the "celiac genes" and then may want to get blood panels as well.

Below is an in depth look and more information on these 3 tests that will be preformed by your doctor or gastroenterologist upon your urging or their recommendation:

Serologic Blood Tests: Indicates antibodies present in celiac disease as part of the IgA or IgG (immunoglobulin A/G) panel. If a patient has an IgA deficiency, (when IgA-EMA and IgA-tTG are negative and determined by the AGA test, but celiac disease is still strongly suspected), IgG panels can be run instead. For these panels you MUST be consuming gluten for anything to show up accurate. These test panels can vary from lab to lab as to which ones are run.

EMA (Anti-Endomysial) - Most accurate indicator of celiac disease (99%).

tTG (Anti-Tissue Transglutaminase) - This is an enzyme-linked test and may lead to better results in those with more damage and sensitivity, but is still a very accurate indicator of (93%).

DGP (Deamidated Gliadin Peptide) - This is the newest antibody test and research is still being done. Less is known about its accuracy and due to its cost, EMA and tTG are still run first, however this test is usually run if IgA deficiency is present.

Small Intestinal Biopsy: If the Serologic Blood Tests point to celiac disease in the patient, it is then typical and recommended to get a biopsy so the small intestine before any modifications to diet are made. The biopsy is a simple outpatient procedure done by your gastroenterologist. If damage is found, along with the positive blood tests, which on indicate the possibility of celiac, this will "confirm" the presence of a celiac disease and complete the diagnosis.

  • If Dermatitis Herpetiformis is present on the patient (the skin manifestation of celiac disease), a biopsy of the skin can also be done.

Genetic Testing: There are two genes that are associated with celiac disease. You can either have one or both and they are HLA DQ2 and DQ8. However, 40% of people carry these genes so it DOES NOT mean that you have celiac disease nor will you ever develop it. Only about 1% of people do have true celiac disease, but of that 1%, they all carry one of both of the 2 genes. This test can be done via blood or saliva, after the 2 above tests have been run. The genetic test is helpful in screening the rest of a celiac's family (first degree relatives) or as a last ditch effort if the suspected celiac patient is already on a gluten-free diet or the other blood tests and biopsy were not easily confirmed.

For all my gluten-free resources, click here!

So tell me:

+ What was your celiac testing like? I had the biopsy done first, then the blood panel!

+ Have you ever had genetic testing done? No, but I'm curious!

———————————————-

Stay connected:
Facebook: Strength and Sunshine
Twitter: @RebeccaGF666
Instagram: rebeccagf666
Pinterest: RebeccaGF666
Bloglovin’: Strength and Sunshine
Google+: Rebecca Pytell 

Sources:

+ https://celiac.org

+ http://www.niddk.nih.gov/

+ https://www.csaceliacs.org

Related

« Baba Ghanoush Hummus
Levantine Socca Pizza »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Danielle

    June 06, 2016 at 6:47 pm

    Thanks so much for sharing this post! Very informative.

    Reply
    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      June 06, 2016 at 7:01 pm

      Glad to hear!

      Reply
  2. Shirley Wood

    June 05, 2016 at 8:27 pm

    Very interesting information.

    Reply
    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      June 06, 2016 at 1:20 am

      Hope you learned something!

      Reply
  3. kimmythevegan

    June 01, 2016 at 9:17 pm

    My hubby was actually tested for celiac and they went straight to the small intestinal biopsy, no other tests were done first. I thought it was a little strange, but turns out he's not celiac anyway (I feel like we'll never figure out what the problem is :/). I had to learn about a lot of this when I was in school for nutrition, but some of this is new, it's interesting to read. Thanks for sharing =)

    Reply
    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      June 01, 2016 at 10:37 pm

      Testing is all over the place and it really depends on who you doctor is...not good...it needs to be regulated :/

      Reply
  4. Brittany @ The Pistachio Project

    June 01, 2016 at 1:38 pm

    Such a helpful post and so very needed!

    Reply
    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      June 01, 2016 at 2:26 pm

      Thank you!

      Reply
  5. Jody Cowan

    May 31, 2016 at 3:18 pm

    This is going to be really helpful to a lot of people! Great post! Glad I found this, I pinned it.

    Reply
    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      May 31, 2016 at 4:20 pm

      Fantastic! Thank you!

      Reply
  6. Michelle James

    May 31, 2016 at 9:21 am

    Thank you for sharing this great post!

    Reply
    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      May 31, 2016 at 10:25 am

      Thanks!

      Reply
  7. Nikki Frank-Hamilton

    May 30, 2016 at 12:10 pm

    I am gluten free, but not a true celiac. I had no idea how difficult it was to get the diagnosis. I am happy that the world is beginning to notice how difficult being a celiac can be and creating foods that do not contain gluten. For me it has been life changing and my health is so much better omitting gluten from my diet!

    Reply
    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      May 30, 2016 at 2:15 pm

      Sure.

      Reply
  8. Abigail Cain

    May 29, 2016 at 11:30 am

    So glad I found your blog! I recently discovered I have Celiacs. The doctor initially told me I was depressed.. lol yeah I was depressed because I felt terrible from having Celiacs! Look forward to follow your posts. 🙂

    Reply
    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      May 29, 2016 at 11:49 am

      I'm glad you found me too!
      I hope you'll be feeling better soon on your new journey to health! Shoot me an email if you need any support! xoxo

      Reply
  9. Kathleen - Bloggers Lifestyle

    May 28, 2016 at 7:31 pm

    It seems like genetic profiles are the future of medicine. Thanks for the list of tests, like you say some doctors don't do them or they may even do the wrong ones. I guess they can't be up on everything.

    Reply
    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      May 29, 2016 at 6:54 am

      Celiac is still not taught fully in the professional field, sadly.

      Reply
  10. Marla

    May 27, 2016 at 1:18 pm

    Hi Rebecca,
    Thanks for providing this valuable information. There is a lot of confusion about Celiac Disease. Pinned & tweeted!

    Reply
    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      May 27, 2016 at 1:25 pm

      Yes there is!

      Reply
  11. Lady Lilith

    May 25, 2016 at 8:14 am

    One of mine get tested via blood test. Thankfully she did not have ciliac. I work with some kids who do, and it can be trickey. Evern the simplist of foods have gluten.

    Reply
    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      May 25, 2016 at 11:20 am

      Well yea, haha, celiac disease is a severe autoimmune disease.

      Reply
  12. Kristy @ Southern In Law

    May 25, 2016 at 3:22 am

    This is SUCH an important post as proper diagnosis really is essential - especially so you can make sure you don't have another underlying condition you're misdiagnosing as coeliac disease! (Plus, why would you want to go gluten free if you didn't have to, haha!)

    The gene testing was interesting for us as we found my sister and I both have one of each gene - meaning both of my parents are carriers! My sister doesn't have active coeliac disease whilst I do and neither parent will get tested as they don't want to know who's "to blame" 😛

    Reply
    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      May 25, 2016 at 7:59 am

      My brother exhibits signs of celiac, but I know he would never get tested...if he feel fine, he never will, but there are so many weird things that alarm me :/

      Reply
  13. Kristina @ Ms.Modify

    May 24, 2016 at 9:30 pm

    This is so important! So many people are told even by doctors to go gluten free and see how they feel, without eliminating celiac first! Yay for educating! xo, Kristina

    Reply
    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      May 25, 2016 at 12:41 am

      Yes! This is the #1 step (or few steps, haha!)

      Reply
  14. Cristina @ I Say Nomato

    May 24, 2016 at 8:09 pm

    This is so helpful! Great info - I know when we thought Mr. Nomato was celiac and had to go through all of this, including the biopsy and scopes and everything. It's hard to know where to start for sure! I always love your posts 🙂

    Reply
    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      May 25, 2016 at 12:39 am

      Right? Sometimes you just have to blindly jump into testing to start somewhere when it comes to things like this!

      Reply
  15. GiselleR @ Diary of an ExSloth

    May 24, 2016 at 11:46 am

    I don't think I have celiac so I've never been tested but I've had blood work done for other allergies. Never a biopsy though. Sounds intense!

    Reply
    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      May 24, 2016 at 12:35 pm

      It's worth it to get accurate info!

      Reply
  16. Emily @ My Healthyish Life

    May 24, 2016 at 7:35 am

    I had gene testing way back when I was diagnosed (after the blood test and scope/biopsy). I forget the reasoning why because neither of my parents have had it done...I want them to!

    Reply
    • Rebecca @ Strength and Sunshine

      May 24, 2016 at 7:57 am

      Yea! I would be curious since there are SO many digestive related problems in my family...I would not be surprised!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Hey there, welcome to Strength and Sunshine! I’m Rebecca and I'm so glad you're here! This is your go-to destination for delicious, fun, and (mostly) healthy gluten-free and allergy-free recipes, tips & tricks, advice, as well as celiac and food allergy coaching services! More about me



Search

Never Miss A Post

Categories

Recent Posts

  • Gluten-Free Blueberry Crumb Bars
  • Blueberry Chia Jam
  • Grilled Portobello Mushroom Steaks
  • Strawberry Banana Bread (Gluten-Free, Vegan)
  • Strawberry Chia Jam

Trending Posts

  • Slow Cooker Applesauce | Easy, Simple, No Added Sugar
  • Slow Cooker Apple Butter (No Peeling Required!)
  • Cold Italian Pasta Salad (Gluten-Free, Vegan, Allergy-Free)
  • Gluten-Free Pumpkin Scones (Vegan, Allergy-Free) Healthy Starbucks Copycat
  • Healthy Lemonade Recipe (Sugar-Free, Homemade, 3-Ingredients)
  • Gluten-Free Apple Fritter Bread (Vegan, Allergy-Free)

Footer

↑ back to top

About

  • About Rebecca
  • Privacy Policy

Newsletter

  • Sign up for our weekly newsletter!

Contact

  • Contact
  • Services
  • Media & Press

Copyright © 2022 Strength and Sunshine LLC

Related

Soft moist pillows of pumpkin goodness studded wit Soft moist pillows of pumpkin goodness studded with dark chocolate chips 🤩🎃🍫

Super easy gluten-free soft pumpkin chocolate chip cookies, vegan and allergy-free 😘🍪

Find the full recipe on Strength and Sunshine 🥳
https://strengthandsunshine.com/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-cookies/

#pumpkin #pumpkincookies #chocolatechipcookies #vegancookies #glutenfreecookies #allergyfree #glutenfree #vegan #dairyfree #eggfree
When you want both the summer and fall vibes at on When you want both the summer and fall vibes at once…😙🍂👙

Super moist, soft, fluffy Pumpkin Zucchini Bread! 🤩🎃🥒🍞
Gluten-free, vegan, allergy-free, full of fruits and veggies! 😁

Find the full recipe on Strength and Sunshine 🥳
https://strengthandsunshine.com/gluten-free-pumpkin-zucchini-bread/

#pumpkin #zucchini #pumpkinbread #zucchinibread #glutenfreebread #veganbread #allergyfree #glutenfree #vegan #dairyfree #eggfree
Say farewell to berry season with these sweet, ten Say farewell to berry season with these sweet, tender, buttery crumb bars! 🫐
*
Gluten-Free Blueberry Crumb Bars (Vegan, Allergy-Free) 😍🤤🫐
*
These Beautifully Blissful Blueberry Bars are:👇
Gluten-Free ❤️
Allergy-Free 🧡
Vegan 💛
Kid-Approved 💚
No Added Sugar 💙
Simple and Easy 💜
Delicious Dessert, Brunch or Breakfast Treat 💖
*
With that homemade blueberry chia jam sandwiched between a tender and buttery gluten-free shortbread style crust and delicious crumb topping, served warm with some vegan vanilla ice cream...not too sweet, just enough to satisfy all your fruity blueberry dreams 🙌🫐🥰😘
*
CLICK the LINK in my BIO @rebeccagf666 for the FULL RECIPE on the BLOG! 👆👆
https://strengthandsunshine.com/gluten-free-blueberry-crumb-bars/
*
#blueberries #blueberry #bakingfromscratch #blueberryrecipes #bakingwithkids #glutenfree #vegan #dairyfree #eggfree #soyfree #nutfree #blueberrypie #allergyfree #celiac #foodallergies #feedfeed #thebakefeed #bakersofinstagram #glutenfreelife #wildblueberries #foodallergymom #kidapproved #veganbaking #vegandessert #glutenfreedessert #glutenfreefood #glutenfreebaking #glutenfreeliving #celiacdisease #dessertbars
Early Autumn Vibes in these Apple Cinnamon Muffins Early Autumn Vibes in these Apple Cinnamon Muffins! ✌️🍎

Fluffy, bakery-style muffins, gluten-free, vegan, and allergy-free! Filled with fresh chopped apples and coated in cinnamon sugar goodness! 😋🥰🍎

Find the full recipe on Strength and Sunshine 🥳👇
https://strengthandsunshine.com/gluten-free-apple-cinnamon-muffins-vegan/

#apple #applecinnamon #applecinnamonmuffins #veganmuffins #glutenfreebreakfast #allergyfree #glutenfree #vegan #dairyfree #eggfree
Are you still holding out on the pumpkin or have y Are you still holding out on the pumpkin or have you given in? 🤔

Let your first taste of pumpkin spice be these copycat Starbucks Pumpkin Scones! Gluten-Free, vegan, and allergy-free, one of Strength and Sunshine’s fan-favorite pumpkin recipes! 🎃🥰😋

Find the full recipe on Strength and Sunshine 👇🥳

https://strengthandsunshine.com/gluten-free-pumpkin-scones-vegan/

#pumpkin #pumpkinscones #pumpkinspice #veganbreakfast #glutenfreebreakfast #allergyfree #glutenfree #vegan #dairyfree #eggfree
The solution for your bounty of blueberries!🫐 * The solution for your bounty of blueberries!🫐
*
Blueberry Chia Jam (Vegan, Gluten-Free) 😍🫐
*
This Berrylicious Blueberry Jam is 👇
Gluten-Free ❤️
Allergy-Free 🧡
Vegan 💛
Sugar-Free, Keto, & Paleo 💚
Kid-Approved 💙
Healthy & Customizable💜
Quick & Easy, 2 Ingredients 💖
Sweet Spread, Filling, Topping, & More! 💝
*
Just like the strawberry chia jam you all loved, this blueberry chia seed jam is just as easy with two ingredients and endless customizations and uses! Blueberry jam is one of my favorites for a PBJ and you’ll need a batch for an upcoming recipe I’ll be sharing in 2 weeks! 🫐🤩
*
CLICK the LINK in my BIO @rebeccagf666 for the FULL RECIPE on the BLOG! 👆👆
https://strengthandsunshine.com/blueberry-chia-jam/
*
#blueberryjam #blueberrychiajam #blueberry #blueberries #wildblueberries #chiajam #chiaseeds #homemadejam #summerfruit #blueberryrecipes #glutenfree #vegan #dairyfree #eggfree #soyfree #nutfree #allergyfree #keto #paleo #celiac #foodallergies #feedfeed #glutenfreelife #foodallergymom #kidapproved #eatrealfood #glutenfreefood #glutenfreeliving #celiacdisease
If you’re not grilling your French toast…what If you’re not grilling your French toast…what are you doing? 🧐🔥🍞🍁

Grilled French Toast and Grilled French Toast Skewers! 🤩

Both recipe are perfect for those end-of-summer and fall camping adventures you have! Both are perfectly gluten-free, allergy-free bad vegan of course! No need for perishable ingredients here! 😋🥰🏕️

Find the full recipes on Strength and Sunshine 🥳
Classic: https://strengthandsunshine.com/gluten-free-grilled-french-toast-vegan/
Skewers: https://strengthandsunshine.com/gluten-free-grilled-french-toast-skewers-vegan/

#frenchtoast #frenchtoasts #frenchtoastrecipe #veganbreakfast #glutenfreebreakfast #allergyfree #glutenfree #vegan #dairyfree #eggfree
Healthy Allergy-Free Pad Thai? Of Course! 🤩😋 Healthy Allergy-Free Pad Thai? Of Course! 🤩😋🥳

Perfectly gluten-free, allergy-free, and vegan! That means no soy, peanuts, eggs, or fish. Naturally gluten-free with those rice noodles of course 😎🍜

Find the full recipe here 👇
https://strengthandsunshine.com/vegan-pad-thai-gluten-free/

#padthai #veganpadthai #glutenfreenoodles #vegandinner #allergyfree #nutfree #glutenfree #vegan #dairyfree #eggfree #soyfree