Celiac disease
What is celiac disease?
Celiac disease also known as gluten sensitive enteropathy (GSE) is a chronic condition whereby the consumption of the protein gluten triggers an immune reaction in your small intestine, which damages the surface of your small intestine and an inability to absorb certain nutrients.
Gluten is contained in food made from wheat, barley and rye such as bread, pasta, cakes etc. Even small amounts of gluten in foods can affect those with celiac disease and cause health problems. Damage can occur to the small bowel even when there are no symptoms present. Celiac disease can strike at any age.
What are the signs and Symptoms ?
The most common symptoms of celiac disease are:
- Intermittent diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Bloating
- Irritability or depression
- Anemia
- Stomach upset
- Joint pain
- Muscle cramps
- Skin rash
- Mouth sores
- Dental and bone disorders (such as osteoporosis)
- Tingling in the legs and feet (neuropathy)
- Foul-smelling or grayish stools that may be fatty or oily
- Stunted growth (in children)
- Osteoporosis
- Anemia
How do you get Celiac Disease ?
The cause of Celiac Disease is still not fully understood. It is known that celiac disease affects those with a genetic predisposition. It is known that certain genes - HLA-DQ2 and DQ8 — are associated with an increased risk of celiac disease.
It tends to be more common in people who have Type 1 diabetes, Autoimmune thyroid disease, Down syndrome , and Microscopic colitis, particularly collagenous colitis. Like many other autoimmune diseases, the condition is two to three times more common in women than men.