This disease targets the villi or the small protrusions that serve as lining of the small intestines. The villi play a vital role in the body’s ability to absorb nutrients through the small intestines going through the blood stream. If these tiny villi are damaged, malnutrition occurs.

People suffering from celiac disease are not able to properly digest gluten and protein from rye, wheat and barley. Gluten can be found in food as well as in vitamins, medicines and even lip balms.
The disease is hereditary which means that a person whose parents and relatives have this condition may also get it. Generally, celiac disease can develop after a viral infection, pregnancy, after giving birth and experiencing severe emotional stress.

Signs to watch out for

This disorder of the small intestines may show varied symptoms in children and adults. The symptoms differ from one individual to another and may not only be imminent in the digestive system but in other body parts as well.

Among infants and children, the common symptoms include diarrhea, vomiting, constipation, bloating of the stomach, pain in the stomach, pale stool with foul odor, decrease in weight and irritability. Among adults, the most common problems they may experience are pain in the bones and joints, fatigue, anemia, arthritis, osteoporosis, depression, seizures, infertility, absence of menstruation, canker sores in the mouth and skin irritation.

These symptoms may also depend on the age of a person and the degree of damage to the small intestines. There have been cases where people diagnosed with celiac disease actually had the illness for many years already before it was discovered. When undetected, people with this disease can suffer from complications such as anemia, osteoporosis, liver disease and cancers of the intestine.

How it is detected

Due to the varied symptoms of celiac disease, physicians have been experiencing difficulty in diagnosing the condition. Fortunately with the availability of blood tests, diagnosis rates have improved in recent years.

Blood test is one of the effective means of detecting the condition. Those with celiac disease normally have certain autoantibodies such as the transglutaminase antibodies (TGA) or anti-endomysium antibodies (EMA) in their blood in high levels.
Biopsy of the small intestines is a further test required if the physician suspects celiac disease. The biopsy process enables a doctor to take a sample of tissues from the small intestines to find out if there’s damage to the villi.

Screening may also done to detect the existence of autoantibodies in the blood. This is ideal for people who don’t show symptoms of celiac disease.

How it is treated

To prevent further damage to the small intestines, people with celiac disease are advised to strictly follow a diet free from gluten. A dietician is normally tasked to recommend a most suitable diet and advice patients on how to choose their food when buying from the grocery stores or when dining out. Foods that should be avoided include pasta, cereal, processed food and grain.

Are you are struggling with Celiac Disease and worried about consuming gluten?

Read The Essential Gluten Free Guide