What You Should Know About Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is a lifelong chronic disease that attacks the small intestine when you eat gluten or gluten by-products. The villi, small finger-like tissue that lines the small intestine and absorbs nutrients and sugars, are damaged by eating products that contain gluten, such as baked goods, wheat, rye, barley and some oat products. The lining of the small intestine becomes enflamed and can lead to lymphoma cancer. If you are a first generation descendent, for instance your mother, father, sister or brother, son or daughter, of someone with celiac disease you are more likely to have it also. For those who are predisposed to celiac disease, a viral or bacterial infection or other environmental factor can trigger the onset of the disease.

If your infant becomes irritable after introducing them to cereal and suffers from intermittent vomiting, swollen stomach or bloating, has foul-smelling stools or diarrhea, even constipation, and is a failure to thrive baby; your infant may be suffering from celiac disease.

The small intestine not absorbing the nutrients in the food you eat causes the gas, abdominal pain, swelling and bloating. This will lead to stunted growth and delayed onset of puberty in teens if left untreated. Adults may not show symptoms until in their 20s to 30s. Once diagnosed with celiac disease, switching to a gluten-free diet will cause symptoms to disappear in about two to three weeks. The villi will return to normal in two months to several years depending on the damage already done. Even after symptoms have disappeared it is advisable to stay on a gluten-free diet to prevent symptoms from returning.

If you have celiac disease but do not show symptoms even after eating gluten-laden food, this does not mean you are getting all the nutrients in the food you eat. You may get iron deficient anemia or osteoporosis.

People who have celiac disease are more likely than others to contract type I diabetes, iron deficiency anemia, autoimmune thyroid disease, Down syndrome, dermatitis herpetiformis (a skin condition of rashes usually in adults and on the elbows, knees, shoulders and feet), abnormal liver function tests not caused by any other condition, osteoporosis, depression, fatigue and lymphoma of the small intestine.

If you suspect you or your child, have celiac disease, go to a doctor and get a blood test. Often times, testing for celiac disease is only done when other conditions have been ruled out that have similar symptoms. If you or your child is experiencing any of the above symptoms, especially if there is a failure to gain weight in a child with a normal appetite, a specific test is given. It is an endoscopy, where they guide an endoscope down the patients' throat through the stomach to the small intestine where a biopsy of the lining of the small intestine is collected.

Learning everything about gluten products and by-products is the best thing to do if you suffer from celiac disease. You may not find all gluten products on the ingredient list. Hard candy or sticky candy does not always list the flour they dust candies with to prevent the candy from sticking. Several organizations will help you identify gluten products in your food and help you make a gluten-free diet for yourself or your family members.

source:The First Year: Celiac Disease and Living Gluten-Free: An Essential Guide for the Newly Diagnosed by Jules E. Dowler Shepard