Celiac disease is a digestive disease that damages the small intestine. The damage caused by celiac disease interferes with the body's ability to absorb nutrients from food.
Gluten sensitive enteropathy, celiac sprue, and nontropical sprue are other names for celiac disease. When someone with celiac disease digests gluten, the gluten triggers to the immune system. The immune system of the person is what causes damage to the small intestine.
Celiac disease can cause chronic diarrhea, constipation, recurrent abdominal pain, fatigue, and unexplained changes in weight. Irritability and depression can be caused by celiac disease. In children, celiac disease can cause growth delays.
People with celiac disease may have a vitamin K deficiency or anemia. Celiac disease may cause missed menstrual periods, infertility in men and women, and miscarriages.
The mouth can be affected by celiac disease. This condition can cause canker sores, discoloration of the teeth, and loss of tooth enamel.
The symptoms of celiac disease can be severe or the person may have no symptoms. The substance that triggers the damage to the small intestines, gluten, is a protein that is present in rye, wheat, and barley.
Celiac disease is typically diagnosed during childhood or early adolescence, but this disease may go undetected for quite some time. Occasionally, someone only in adulthood will be diagnosed even though the disease was likely present for a number of years.
The cause of celiac disease is considered to be genetic. A person's risk can be determined by genetic testing.
Doctors may perform a blood test to confirm the diagnosis of celiac disease.A small bowel biopsy may be done to check for inflammation and damage associated with celiac disease.
While there is no cure for celiac disease, people with this disorder commonly follow a gluten-free diet to minimize the damage to the small intestines.
It is crucial for people with celiac disease to recognize products that contain gluten. Some things that include gluten are frozen french fries, some medication, and some adhesives on tapes and stamps.
Food allergies, lactose intolerance, and small to allergies are common in people with celiac disease. Therefore, even on a gluten-free diet fuel is celiac disease may continue to have digestive problems.
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