Many types of healthcare providers are involved in diagnosing and treatingceliac diseaseand non-celiacgluten sensitivity. The first step is to discuss yourceliac disease symptomsand/orgluten sensitivity symptomswith your primary care provider.
It’s nearly impossible to tell the difference between the conditions based on symptoms alone, so your healthcare provider may order tests to determine if you have celiac disease, and can help you decide the next steps in your care.
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Role of the Primary Care Healthcare Provider
If you think you might be reacting toglutenin your diet, you’ll need tests to confirm the cause of your symptoms. The first step may be a set ofceliac blood tests. Your primary care healthcare provider can order these tests.
You need to be eating gluten for the tests to be accurate, so don’t change your diet just yet.
If you have a positive result on these blood tests, it doesn’t mean you definitely have celiac disease.Your practitioner likely will refer you to agastroenterologist—a physician who specializes in conditions involving the digestive system.
Reasons You Might Need a Gastroenterologist
Role of the Gastroenterologist
A gastroenterologist can perform anendoscopy, a procedure that’s usually the next step in the diagnostic process for celiac disease.During an endoscopy, the gastroenterologist will use an instrument called an endoscope to take tiny samples of your small intestine.
Endoscopy involves the insertion of a flexible scope through the mouth and down the esophagus, stomach, and small intestine to obtain abiopsy(tissue sample). This is typically done on an outpatient basis.
The sample will then be sent to a pathology lab for evaluation.
Role of the Pathologist
As the final step to diagnose celiac disease, a healthcare provider called apathologist—a physician who examines tissues—will review those samples of your small intestine.
The sample is examined to look for signs of:
How Celiac Disease Is Diagnosed
If you are diagnosed with celiac disease, your gastroenterologist or your primary care healthcare provider can provide follow-up care.
If you don’t test positive for celiac disease based on your blood tests or endoscopy, you almost certainly don’t have celiac disease. Other conditions potentially can have symptoms similar to those of celiac disease. Your gastroenterologist can help you sort out the cause of those symptoms.
Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity
Negative results on these tests don’t necessarily mean you don’t have a problem with gluten—you may have non-celiac gluten sensitivity instead.
How Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity Is Treated
Other Medical Specialists
Regardless of whether you have celiac disease or gluten sensitivity, you may need care from different medical specialists, depending on the associated symptoms you may have.
For example, you may need aneurologistto deal with recurrentmigraine, adermatologistto treateczemaordermatitis herpetiformis, or anendocrinologistif you are struggling withinfertilityordiabetes.
You may also need assistance from a dietitian who can help you embark on agluten-free diet.
A Word From Verywell
When you have gastrointestinal symptoms, it’s not unusual to work with several healthcare providers, especially as you’re in the process of obtaining a diagnosis.
Once you’re feeling better and you’ve mastered the gluten-free diet, you may only need to regularly visit one practitioner, who can manage your care. This medical professional may be your primary care healthcare provider or gastroenterologist and they will be able to make any referrals for follow-up care from specialists that you need in the future.
Coping and Living Well With Celiac Disease
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Celiac Disease Screening.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis of Celiac Disease.Celiac Disease Foundation.Diagnosis.Mansueto P, Seidita A, D’Alcamo A, Carroccio A.Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: Literature Review.J Am Coll Nutr. 2014;33(1):39-54. doi:10.1080/07315724.2014.869996Sapone A, Bai JC, Ciacci C, et al.Spectrum of gluten-related disorders: consensus on new nomenclature and classification.BMC Med. 2012;10:13. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-10-13Additional ReadingNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for Celiac Disease.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.MedlinePlus.Celiac Disease Screening.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis of Celiac Disease.Celiac Disease Foundation.Diagnosis.Mansueto P, Seidita A, D’Alcamo A, Carroccio A.Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: Literature Review.J Am Coll Nutr. 2014;33(1):39-54. doi:10.1080/07315724.2014.869996Sapone A, Bai JC, Ciacci C, et al.Spectrum of gluten-related disorders: consensus on new nomenclature and classification.BMC Med. 2012;10:13. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-10-13Additional ReadingNational Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for Celiac Disease.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
MedlinePlus.Celiac Disease Screening.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis of Celiac Disease.Celiac Disease Foundation.Diagnosis.Mansueto P, Seidita A, D’Alcamo A, Carroccio A.Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: Literature Review.J Am Coll Nutr. 2014;33(1):39-54. doi:10.1080/07315724.2014.869996Sapone A, Bai JC, Ciacci C, et al.Spectrum of gluten-related disorders: consensus on new nomenclature and classification.BMC Med. 2012;10:13. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-10-13
MedlinePlus.Celiac Disease Screening.
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Diagnosis of Celiac Disease.
Celiac Disease Foundation.Diagnosis.
Mansueto P, Seidita A, D’Alcamo A, Carroccio A.Non-Celiac Gluten Sensitivity: Literature Review.J Am Coll Nutr. 2014;33(1):39-54. doi:10.1080/07315724.2014.869996
Sapone A, Bai JC, Ciacci C, et al.Spectrum of gluten-related disorders: consensus on new nomenclature and classification.BMC Med. 2012;10:13. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-10-13
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Treatment for Celiac Disease.
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