Good celiac disease: what they are and how to request them

Celiac disease is a disease of the small intestine. Those who suffer can not take foods that contain gluten and for this reason needs a specific diet based products for people with celiac disease. The Italian State meets the families of coeliacs by making available to the vouchers to spend in the indicated points of sale, or in the pharmacy, for the purchase of products that do not contain gluten. So let's see what good celiacs are and how they work specifically.



good celiac
GOOD CELIAC DISEASE: WHAT THEY ARE AND HOW TO REQUEST THEM
The celiac disease is an officially recognized disease, it can strike at any age and, according to some studies, at its base there is a genetic predisposition. Abdominal pain and nausea are just some symptoms that occur in people with celiac disease, due to the malabsorption of some substances, such as gluten , contained in food. People suffering from celiac disease report a chronic inflammation of the small intestine, which ignites because the body continues to ingest products containing gluten.

But what exactly is gluten?

Gluten is a component of protein in cereals that is found in wheat and in some types of cereals , such as barley, rye, spelled and spelled. Therefore, finding itself in products prepared with this kind of cereals, gluten is contained in bread, flour, pizza, biscuits and all the other confectionery products , such as snacks and snacks.



Celiacs who ingest this type of food suffer from numerous physical disorders, ranging from dysentery to abdominal cramps, depending on the fact that the intestine is unable to digest gluten . What to do then?

Celiacs should not only avoid ingesting foods that do not contain gluten , but must also pay attention that there is no contamination with products that contain it and this is why it can become difficult practice to go out for dinner, even if only for a pizza, and find, for example, a pizzeria with a separate oven that only cooks pizzas with gluten-free flour. The same, of course, applies to pastry or baker: if you sell gluten - free products , traders are obliged to separate the places where food is prepared to avoid contaminating the flour .

WHAT THE LEGISLATION SAYS
The Italian law provides for a specific labeling on food products for everything that concerns not only foods containing gluten, but also for those that contain allergens. Foods that do not contain gluten are many, such as fruit, vegetables, fish, meat and eggs, while for all others, all processed products containing flour, must be labeled in such a way as to be recognized among gluten-free products.

Since 2005 these products are obligatorily marked with an ear of crossed wheat : buying a food bearing this symbol you are certain to consume products that do not contain gluten and therefore do not cause intolerance or annoyance in people with celiac disease. The rules governing the use of labels are very strict; the symbol of the spike can appear only and exclusively on products that contain gluten for a maximum of 20 milligrams per Kg .

WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF SUSPECTED CELIAC DISEASE
The diagnosis is often done in adulthood and, at that point, it becomes impossible for the celiac to continue to conduct the same diet. It is therefore necessary to buy products, such as flours, bread, pasta and biscuits, which do not contain gluten to eliminate physical discomfort. The Italian State is helping celiac citizens , and families, in the case of small children, and provides them with a maximum cost ceiling that must be used for the purchase of suitable products.

What is fundamental , however, is that the pathology is ascertained safely by a doctor . Alternatively, it is impossible to access this economic aid. The situation becomes particularly unpleasant when a person manifests all the symptoms , or almost, of celiac disease but there is no clinical evidence that leads the doctor to be able to diagnose it for all purposes. In these cases, people can still decide to buy products without gluten, but since there is no pathology confirmed by the doctor can not access state economic aid, with a further increase in family expenses, since products for celiacs can also have costs rather onerous.

Those who can be said to be 100% celiac, and therefore possess a medical certificate attesting to it, have at their disposal an amount that varies from € 45 to € 100 each month , depending on the age, to be used for the purchase of gluten-free products. For children there are also various facilities for the school canteen.



The state helps citizens with celiac disease assessed with various types of economic aid . This is because, individually, gluten-free products are quite expensive compared to the average of all other foods and, buy even some of the basic and necessary foods, such as pasta and gluten-free flours, would greatly affect the family budget of every family if these subsidies did not exist.

It is directly the National Health Service that takes care of supplying gluten-free foods to citizens with celiac disease. The products can be picked up directly at the pharmacy or at specialized stores that sell gluten-free food. The products can be purchased until the required monthly ceiling is exhausted, at the end of which, however, the citizens will have to provide their own pockets to find the products.

The spending ceilings available for each citizen may vary according to the region of residence and according to the ASL of belonging. The first thing to do, therefore, to get certain and detailed information is to consult the AIC of your region or ask directly the doctor.

The monthly money available for each celiac person varies according to age. Therefore there are different bands to rely on. Here is a brief overview:

6 months - 1 year of age: 45.00 euros

Up to 3 and a half years old: 62.00 euros

Up to 10 years of age: 94, 00 euros

Adult age: 140, 00 for males and 99.00 for females

To know specifically which are the gluten-free products that the National Health Service is responsible for providing, just consult the national register of gluten-free products . Then you need to proceed with the request for celiac good.



To make the request it is necessary to present some documents:

Certificate signed by a doctor attesting the presence of the disease
Authorization signed by the ASL that allows access to the purchase of gluten-free foods
OTHER FACILITIES FOR CELIACS
In addition to the request for vouchers, celiacs are also entitled to access different services , on request and free of charge. This rule was designed especially for young children who, having lunch at the school canteen, in the case of celiac disease would have many problems.

In this case, parents of children with celiac disease can ask the school to provide gluten-free meals for their child , and this can also take place in hospitals in case of hospitalization, but also in sports facilities that provide access to canteens. collective.

VISITS AND EXEMPTIONS
The examinations necessary for the diagnosis of celiac disease are granted exemption , with the condition that the suspected diagnosis is formulated by a specialist in the National Health Service. In this case the citizen affected by celiac disease will be sent by the same doctor, to the guard of the network able to formulate the diagnosis of the disease.

REIMBURSEMENT OF THE NHS FOR PRODUCTS PURCHASED IN SUPERMARKETS
Some regions , such as Lombardy, collaborate with local health agencies to provide celiac disease patients with a reimbursement, in the form of a monthly budget, to spend at the affiliated outlets and at all the major supermarket chains.

The citizen is provided with a code , which is sent directly home, by post, which entitles him to purchase gluten-free products at participating supermarkets. Alternatively, you can always make purchases at pharmacies. The new IT systems also allow you to split the spending according to your needs and allow everyone to better control how much the available budget remains.

According to the Italian Celiac Association , depending on the Regions, which however implement different policies also as regards the provision of benefits for people with celiac disease, sometimes it may be more convenient to buy some products at retailers supermarkets that not in Pharmacy. In fact, several studies have shown that the difference between the products purchased in pharmacies and the one bought in a common supermarket is quite large and variable, even in this case, from region to region.

A valid advice, therefore, regardless of the region in which you reside is to do some preliminary research and carefully compare the prices of products that are consumed more, especially by virtue of the fact that the coupons that the state provides for coeliacs have a limited expense ceiling.