Celiac Disease
Celiac disease (CD) is a common, yet potentially life threatening, disorder which can easily be under diagnosed or misdiagnosed. Three million Americans are living with Celiac Disease, but only 17% of them realize they have it! Celiac Disease is an autoimmune disorder that causes an abnormal response to glutens—proteins found in wheat, barley, and rye. The immune system’s reaction to dietary gluten causes inflammation of the intestinal lining. Over time, the tiny fingerlike protrusions (villi) that line the intestinal wall are damaged and flattened. They no longer absorb food nutrients effectively. As a result, celiac disease can cause serious malabsorption issues.
If you are an adult with celiac disease, you might suffer from many of the hundreds of symptoms that have been linked to CD. Here are some of the most common warning signs.
Signs and Symptoms
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Gastric reflux
- Heartburn
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Anemia from iron deficiency
- Tingling or numb extremities from calcium deficiency
- Abnormal menstrual cycles or infertility
- Mood disorders including depression and anxiety
- Oral ulcers
- Bone and joint pain
- Arthritis
Some patients experience few or no symptoms in the early stages of CD. However, the disease can eventually cause serious health problems including malnutrition, liver damage, and osteoporosis.
Testing and Diagnosis
Since CD is a genetic disorder, there is a genetic screening that can determine if you are at risk. If you have one of the two genes that are linked to CD, you might have the disease. If not, your symptoms are being caused by another disorder such as irritable bowel syndrome, or chronic fatigue.
Screening for active CD is done with blood tests that detect immune antibodies for gluten. However, if you have already reduced or eliminated gluten from your diet, you could have a false negative test. The only way to confirm a diagnosis of celiac disease and determine the extent of the damage is to perform an intestinal biopsy by way of an Upper Endoscopy. This is a simple 5 minute outpatient procedure.
Typical Treatment
The only effective treatment for celiac disease is eliminating gluten from your diet. This can be difficult since gluten is used as a food additive to improve the texture, flavor, and shelf-life of many common foods. You can consult with a nutritionist to learn about identifying and avoiding gluten in your daily life.
Acute inflammatory symptoms of celiac disease may be managed with steroids. The skin rash (dermatitis herpetiformis) that sometimes afflicts celiac sufferers is treated with antibiotics. Malnutrition can be managed with oral or injected supplements until the intestines recover enough to absorb nutrients again. However, going gluten free is essential for good health and to avoid recurrence of symptoms.
Additional Information
Celiac disease is often confused with Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance, a less well-defined disorder that causes intestinal symptoms after consumption of foods that contain gluten. However, Non-Celiac Gluten Intolerance does not cause long-term intestinal damage and can occur in patients that do not have the genes for CD. There is currently no definitive test for gluten intolerance. Diagnosis is made by eliminating other possibilities and experimenting with a gluten-free diet. If eating gluten free foods reverse your symptoms, you will able to enjoy your life better!