Celiac Disease:
What is celiac disease?
Celiac disease is a digestive disorder that damages the small intestine and interferes with the normal absorption of nutrients from food. People who have celiac disease are not able to tolerate a protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, rye, oats and barley. Gluten is found primarily in foods, but is also found in products we use every day, such as stamp and envelope adhesive, medicines, and vitamins.
When people with celiac disease consume foods or utilize products that contain gluten, their immune system responds by damaging the small intestine. The tiny, fingerlike protrusions that line the small intestine, known as villi, are damaged or destroyed. The villi normally aid in the absorption of nutrients from food. Without healthy villi, a person may become severely malnourished because his or her body is unable to use the nutrients from food.
Celiac disease is considered an autoimmune disorder because a person’s own immune system causes the damage. Additionally, celiac disease is considered to be a disease of malabsorption because nutrients can not be absorbed into the bloodstream. Celiac disease is also referred to as celiac sprue, nontropical sprue, or gluten-sensitive enteropathy.
Causes and Symptoms:
Celiac disease is a genetic disease and is sometimes triggered for the first time after events such as surgery, pregnancy, childbirth, a viral infection, a physical injury or severe emotional stress. The tendency to get this disease is inherited from parents. If one person in a family has celiac disease, approximately one out of ten other members of the same family can be expected to have it as well.
Celiac disease can cause different problems at different times in a person’s life. Infants and young children may experience very different symptoms than teenagers and adults. Symptoms may occur in either the digestive system or in other areas of the body. Common symptoms on celiac disease may include:
- gas
- abdominal bloating and pain
- chronic diarrhea
- foul-smelling, or fatty stool
- unexplained weight loss or weight gain
- fatigue
- missed menstrual periods (due to excessive weight loss)
- infertility, recurrent miscarriage
- delayed growth
- anemia (a low count of red blood cells which can cause fatigue)
- bone or joint aches
- osteoporosis or osteopenia
- behavioral changes
- tingling numbness in the legs due to nerve damage
- a failure to thrive in infants
- aphthous ulcers inside the mouth
- tooth discoloration or loss of enamel
- skin rash known as dermatitis herpetiformis
- muscle cramps
- seizures
Diagnosis:
A physician will determine if a person has celiac disease by performing some easy blood tests. If a person has dermatitis herpetifomis, which is an itchy, blistery skin rash, he or she has celiac disease. The physician may do a small biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. If most or all of the symptoms cease with a gluten-free diet, a person can be very confident that he or she does have celiac disease.
Treatment options:
While celiac disease is a very serious disorder, it can be controlled by avoiding gluten. By following the right diet, a person is able to reverse the damage caused by celiac disease and feel better.
Related information:
- Celiac Disease Foundation
- Celiac Sprue Association
- Mayo Clinic
- GlutenSolutions.Com
- Cookbooks with gluten-free recipes by Bette Hagman (who also was diagnosed with celiac disease):
- The Gluten-Free Gourmet: Living Well Without Wheat
- The Gluten-Free Gourmet Cooks Fast and Healthy
- More From the Gluten-Free Gourmet
- More patient resources
| University of Missouri Health Care | This information is not intended to replace the advice of a doctor. |
