I recently happened upon an interesting claim online.
A person wrote in a forum that though they could not prove it, they believed there is a link between Lyme infection and celiac disease. And to their credit, anecdotally, this was true for them. Recently diagnosed with celiac disease, this person got to talking to someone they know, who also has it. During this conversation, they found another commonality. Both celiac disease sufferers had been diagnosed earlier in life with Lyme disease. This certainly begs the question: Is there a link between Lyme infection and celiac disease?
Lyme infection and celiac disease do have some parallels.
Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne illness in the United States. There are many maddening facts about a Lyme diagnosis. One of those is that the disease can mimic other conditions. At the onset, it can feel like flu. Some sufferers do not seek medical attention at that stage. When they do, symptoms can be mistaken for other ailments. When undiagnosed and early stages, Lyme disease becomes chronic, resulting in a myriad of symptoms. It stands to reason that the question concerning the link between Lyme infection and celiac disease would eventually come up.
According to The University of Chicago Medicine, there are about three million celiac disease sufferers in the United States, with an estimated 97% undiagnosed. What’s more, there are links between celiac disease and other conditions. For instance, 6% of people with type 1 diabetes also have celiac disease. Celiac is an autoimmune disease, which has known links to other autoimmune disorders, including Multiple Sclerosis, Addison’s Disease, and Sjögren’s syndrome.
Celiac and Lyme are two tales of misunderstood diseases, but is there a link between the two? What is known is that both conditions have been steadily increasing. What’s more, both diseases are on the upswing in similar geographical territories. Just like Lyme disease, celiac disease is most prevalent in the Northeastern and Midwestern United States. It is also suggested that celiac can be triggered by previous infections. Could Lyme infection be a trigger for a future celiac diagnosis?
A study was performed to investigate a possible link between Lyme infection and celiac disease.
In Sweden, where both diseases have high occurrences, it was found that those with previous Lyme diagnoses were at a slightly increased risk for celiac disease. However, it was also determined that those with celiac were at a slightly elevated risk of a Lyme diagnosis. This only confirmed surveillance bias. Surveillance bias means that because both diseases are so prevalent in the region, doctors are more likely to test for markers of either disease due to an overlap in symptoms. Finally, according to the study, “a very small proportion—less than 0.2 percent—had previously had Lyme disease, offering further evidence that Lyme disease does not represent a substantive risk factor in the development of celiac disease.”
Lyme disease prevention is available.
Perhaps the most maddening about Lyme infection, is that it can be prevented with proper tick protocols. This means using personal tick repellent and protective clothing when hiking and camping. It also means considering professional tick control measures around your home. Reputable tick control companies offer year-round programs that can drastically reduce your Lyme infection risk.