imaware™ Test Review - Celiac Disease

            A couple weeks ago, I had the opportunity to test my gluten levels from the comfort of my home.  imaware™ created a simple blood test that serves two types of people: one is for people who suspect they have Celiac Disease and want to give proof to a doctor.  The other is for people who have already been diagnosed and simply want to check their levels and see how strict they have truly been with their diet.
            I fall under the latter category, and I was happy to see that my levels were considered “normal” – that means that I have been doing a good job avoiding gluten and cross-contamination.  When I was first diagnosed 6 years ago, I would regularly go to the hospital to get this exact same bloodwork done each year; now, I don’t have to go anywhere!
            The test itself takes less than 5 minutes.  imaware™ sends you a small box, you prick your own finger and fill the provided vial with your blood, and then you put the vial back into the small box and ship it to them with the included shipping label.  imaware™ sends an instructional video and reminder notecards to make the blood-pricking as safe and easy as possible.
            I have never been a fan of needles, so I asked my roommate to film me taking the blood test.  Click here or on the picture above to see that video!  Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be in a situation where I would have to prick my own finger, but imaware™ made it a simple and painless experience.  Ok, I might have said, “Ow,” but it was more of a reaction of surprise than pain.
            The one issue I had with the test was my fault – I forgot to hold my middle finger below my heart the first time.  This caused the blood to not want to come out in big droplets.  Having realized this, I pricked my thumb with the second needle provided for cases such as these and had immediate success.
            I received the test results a week later and was given a full report.  Had I been a person looking for symptoms of Celiac Disease, I could have given the results to my doctor to review.  The four biomarkers that imaware™ tests are tTG IgA, tTG IgG, DGP IgA, and DGP IgG.  Some of these looked familiar to me from my numerous hospital tests after my diagnosis.  My biomarkers were below the cutoff point, which proves that my diet is working; had doctors not already known I was a Celiac, I would not have given them any indication of my autoimmune disease because my body is working “normally” on a strict gluten-free diet.
            With over 3 million Celiacs undiagnosed in the U.S., I highly recommend using imaware™ to get the proof you need for doctors to agree to test you.  I cannot tell you why doctors are still so hesitant to prescribe a simple blood test, but imaware™ will give you the backing you need to seriously discuss the possibility with your doctor.  Celiac Disease is a severe autoimmune disease, and the sooner you can get diagnosed, the healthier your body will be.  This test is well worth the investment if you are suspicious of your gluten intake, especially when you consider the thousands of symptoms a Celiac can face when undiagnosed.
            And, if you are like me and a gluten-free professional by now, it is nice to have an easy way to check in and make sure your diet is as gluten-free as you think it is.

For more information about the imaware™test, click HERE!