Have you ever felt a mysterious tingling or numbness in your hands and feet, but couldn't pinpoint the cause? You're not alone, and the culprit might be an unexpected source: celiac disease. On our latest episode, we uncover the hidden connection between peripheral neuropathy and celiac disease, discussing why it's crucial for the to recognize these symptoms. By committing to a strict gluten-free diet, those suffering from this chronic pain can embark on a journey to reclaim their comfort and well-being.
But there's more—celiac disease can bring along a companion in the form of diabetes, with symptoms that extend far beyond the gut. I talk you through the tightness, swelling, and burning that many with celiac disease might mistake for something less sinister. This episode is not just about identifying these red flags but also about taking action through regular diabetes screenings and embracing a gluten-free lifestyle.
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Imagine living with pins and needles in your hands or your feet all day long and it never going away.
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That's what we're talking about in today's episode, because this is actually one of the symptoms that many, many celiacs actually suffer from before getting a diagnosis, and more people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity.
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So welcome back to this week's episode, where we are talking all about peripheral neuropathy. So peripheral neuropathy is actually one of the most common symptoms that people with celiac disease suffer from without having any of the gut side effects. So many people suffer with this symptom and it goes undiagnosed because it's not being linked enough with celiac disease. So when we look at this as a number, we're talking about 10% of people. So it's quite a high number of people with celiac disease that struggle with this. So if you think about it, it is something that is quite common. When we look at that big number, 10% to me is always a big number. 10% of anything is quite a lot of people. So if someone is struggling with this and they aren't getting any answers and then they finally get a celiac disease diagnosis, what happens is that person then will go on to a gluten-free diet and if they are following a very strict gluten-free diet. The majority of those people will find that their symptoms go away, so that's a fantastic result. Some people find that their symptoms do not go away and most of those people are not adhering to 100% gluten-free diet. So if you are a long-time listener of the show, you'll know that I'm a massive advocate for being as strict as possible on a gluten-free diet and not having cheat days or not having a little bit of gluten here and there. It's about focusing on having the most gluten-free diet absolutely possible, which is being strict, is reading all your labels, is being careful when you're eating out all of these different things that make sure that you are having the most strict gluten-free diet without feeling like you're missing out, but still doing it in a way that's looking after your health.
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Now, the reason I wanted to talk about this on today's episode is perhaps to shed some light on it more for other people. It might not be something that you have experienced, but it's more to shed the light for other people that are dealing with this and to share awareness, because, like anything with celiac disease, the more awareness that there is around these different symptoms and problems that people are facing, the more that we can help others, and that's as simple as it is. Now, the thing with peripheral neuropathy is there are actually more people that suffer from it with non-celiac gluten sensitivity, so people that have those neurological symptoms such as the brain fog, the migraines, all of those other problems that are not to do with the gut. A lot of people don't end up having celiac disease, but they have non-celiac gluten sensitivity. So if we can share this with other people and we talk about this more, or even if you're in a conversation with someone and it comes up and they tell you that they suffer from migraines or they suffer from brain fog or they have like a constant tingling in their hands and feet, it is worth telling them about this and helping them to get a diagnosis and finding out what is causing it. Because if it is gluten, it may just be the act of going gluten-free for them and getting that celiac disease diagnosis or that non-celiac gluten sensitivity diagnosis and being strict with their gluten-free diet so that they can get rid of it.
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Because what a lot of people report is it's not just tingling, it's not just feeling like a you know, a pins and needles kind of sensation. Like you know, you've probably sat down for too long and had one leg under the other and you know you've gone to get up and you can feel like a numbness or a pins and needles kind of feeling. Well, it goes away when the blood flow goes back to your feet, doesn't it? But if you were to live with this constantly, it's not comfortable. So it's not just the pins and needles, it can be tingling, it can be numbness, it can be a tightness in the feet or swelling in the legs, pain and burning. So these are all symptoms that a lot of people suffer with. So, again, you know it's helping those people to get rid of that pain.
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Now, if someone, say, gets a celiac disease diagnosis and they never had any of that neurological kind of symptoms prior, but those symptoms progressed. So let's just say you had a lot of gut problems and you went and got a celiac disease diagnosis and then you went gluten free and everything was fine. You were cruising along, happy with how you're feeling, and then this type of sensation started and it became, I guess, a regular occurrence. It could be something that comes and goes, or it's there constantly. You need to get that checked out. And the reason that I recommend this is because the number one cause of this actual symptom is diabetes and, as you probably know by now, type one diabetes and celiac disease are so closely linked that so many people get one diagnosis and then get the other diagnosis. So they might be celiac and then they get a diabetes diagnosis, or they might have diabetes and then they go and get a celiac diagnosis.
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So if you are suffering from any of these symptoms that I've spoken about so the numbness, the tingling, the swelling, the tightness, the pain, the burning, the pins and needles sensation, any of those that becomes common in your life, it becomes a regular thing please go and get a check. Please go and get tested for diabetes. And this again, this is something that I've spoken about on previous episodes, that it is definitely something that I recommend that we get tested for regularly. So one of the reasons that I recommend that you do get tested for diabetes is because of that close link with celiac disease. So this is why it's highly recommended that when you go and get your annual checkup, that you just ask your doctor to also test you for diabetes while you're there. It's no skin off your nose to add that test as well. So this is a way that we can rule it out, or it's a way that we can keep on top of things and make sure that we don't struggle with any other side effects or any other symptoms that are correlated with diabetes if it's not in check. So if any of these symptoms persist or you find that they're coming and going and it's not from sitting on your leg, it's not from something that's common, that's normal from your day-to-day behavior, then obviously it is highly, highly recommended that you go and get it checked out, because we shouldn't be putting up with symptoms.
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I'm a massive advocate for this that if there's something that doesn't feel right in your body, get answers. Don't just accept it for normal. Don't just accept that, oh, I've got celiac disease and this is just how I feel. Now. You can feel amazing with celiac disease. You can feel better than you felt before your diagnosis. I am walking testament to that, my clients are walking testament to that, and it is something that I want you to understand that you don't have to put up with feeling rubbish because you can feel better.
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And when so many people complain of feeling unwell and having all these other symptoms or these other side effects, it's either down to there's something else going on in your life that is not to do with celiac disease, or you're not living a 100%, super, super strict gluten-free diet. So if it's the first one, obviously that's something that you need to work with your doctor or your medical team on. But if it's the second one, that's where I come in and that's where I can support you. So, as always, make sure that you reach out to me.
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If this is kind of the pennies dropping and you're thinking, wow, okay, I don't feel 100%, I don't feel my best and I need more guidance and support with this, I can help you with that and that's where my passion lies, and I would love to support you further. So you can always reach out to me over at the Healthy Celiac on Instagram, or you can send me an email info at BelindaWheelandcom, and you can find out everything on my website, belindawheelandcom, about my programs and my support systems that I have available for you, because, at the end of the day, this is what I'm here for. This is what makes me get up in the morning and go for it, because I love supporting you. So please make sure that you are tapping into those resources, if you're not already. So.
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Thank you so much for listening. I know that this episode is very, very specific and if it's not something that's talking directly to you, it is definitely more of an awareness thing and with so many people with non-celiac gluten sensitivity as well, it may be something that you're able to help a friend or a loved one with at a later stage. So it's good to have an awareness, like I said, and help other people as well. So thank you so much for listening to this week's episode and I look forward to talking with you again next week. Have a great week. Talk to you soon. Take care bye.