What Exactly is Celiac Disease?

You may wonder what Celiac Disease is or if you, or perhaps a loved one, may have it. Celiac Disease is a condition that affects 20% of the people living in the United States and is characterized by an intolerance to gluten, or similar proteins in wheat, oats, barley and rye. It is a disease that results in malnutrition due to the loss of vitamins and minerals resulting from an impairment in the body's ability to absorb nutrients. This impairment is due to the damage to the lining of the small intestine when foods with gluten are eaten. Celiac disease an autoimmune digestive disease that can appear in both children and adults at any age. The onset of the disease can also be brought on by trauma, a viral infection, emotional stress and surgery. Celiac disease is also known as gluten-sensitive enteropathy, celiac sprue and non tropical sprue.

The symptoms of Celiac disease can vary widely from person to person; ranging from no symptoms to many severe symptoms. The most common symptoms include vitamin and mineral deficiency, bloating, gas, bone and joint pain, depression and irritability, anemia, dental discoloration and enamel defects, bruising easily, seizures, bone disease, indigestion, diarrhea, weight loss, nausea, abdominal pain, foul smelling stools and constipation. A failure to thrive is also a symptom in children with the disease. If you are experiencing these symptoms, it is important that you seek medical attention as soon as possible.

Diagnosing celiac disease is very difficult because the symptoms involved often mimic those of other diseases such as Crohn's disease, ulcerative colitis, diverticulosis, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, depression and intestinal infections. In diagnosing celiac disease, your doctor may order several tests such as a complete blood count (CBC), a couple of tests to evaluate inflammation called an ESR (erythrocyte sedimentation rate) and a CRP (C-Reactive protein). Other tests ordered help determine electrolyte, protein, and calcium levels, and to verify the status of the kidney and liver as well as vitamin deficiencies and malabsorbtion.

In the treatment of Celiac disease, a lifelong gluten free diet is often required to require the intestinal villi to heal. A gluten free diet consists of avoiding wheat, barley, rye and possibly oats. These ingredients are often found in foods, beverages, and medications, the treatment is challenging but achievable with education and planning. However, despite diet restrictions, people with celiac disease can still have a well balanced diet. Instead of using wheat flour as an ingredient, people can use rice, potato, bean or soy flour. They also need to look for "hidden" sources of gluten and their derivatives in medication and other foods by reading labels. To correct any vitamin and mineral deficiencies, your doctor may also prescribe supplements. By completely removing gluten from their diet, people who suffer from celiac disease will begin to see improvement within three to six months. Within a year, symptoms will all but disappear by following a gluten free diet.