What is Celiac Disease? This is an autoimmune disorder that damages your small intestine when you eat gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. This affects the digestive and is sometimes called celiac sprue or gluten-sensitive enteropathy.

When someone with celiac disease eats gluten, it triggers an immune reaction in the small intestine. The lining of the small intestine is damaged over time, preventing the absorption of some nutrients. This damage causes weight loss, fatigue, bloating, and diarrhea and can lead to a more serious complication. 

Most people with this condition don’t know they have it since the damage in the intestine is awfully slow and most symptoms vary so it can take a while, years even, to get the diagnosis right. 

It is important to note that celiac disease isn’t the same as gluten intolerance or gluten sensitivity. Although they have the same symptoms as that of celiac disease, gluten intolerance doesn’t cause damage to the small intestine. 

Celiac disease manifests different symptoms between adults and children. When adults with this disease accidentally eat something with gluten, they may experience: 

• abdominal pain 
• anemia 
• constipation 
• diarrhea 
• gas 
• heartburn 
• fatigue 
• mouth ulcers 
• nausea 
• weight loss 
• nervous system injury (numbness or tingling of hands and feet and imbalance) 

Children with celiac disease have different intestinal problems when they eat foods with gluten, it may include:  

• bloating or belly swelling 
• upset stomach 
• constipation 
• diarrhea 
• foul-smelling poop 

When celiac disease keeps the child’s body from absorbing the nutrients it needs, they can have problems like: 

• delayed puberty 
• mood swings 
• anemia 
• damaged tooth enamel 
• neurological problems (learning disability and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder) 

Celiac disease can also leave the patient more vulnerable to other health problems like malnutrition, osteoporosis, infertility, and sometimes, though very rarely, cancer of the intestine. Celiac disease patients may also have other autoimmune diseases like thyroid disease, type 1 diabetes, lupus and liver diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, and other autoimmune liver disorders. 

Although celiac disease cannot be prevented, early detection and management of these diseases can prevent severe and serious complications. You are at higher risk of having this condition if you have family members who already have celiac disease. So, it is important to have regular check-ups. Celiac disease is rarely fatal but people who do not get treated or do not respond to treatment may suffer from serious complications. 

A gluten-free diet is a good and vital decision if you have celiac disease. A change in your eating habits and food choices is essential in managing celiac disease. A medical provider who specializes in food and nutrition can help you with your diet. At Doral Health and Wellness, we aim to provide the best medical assistance to help you get into your best health.

To book an appointment, please visit us at Doral Health and Wellness. We have doctors that can help you manage your condition. For more information, you can visit us at 1797 Pitkin Avenue, Brooklyn, New York, 11212, or call us at 1-347-384-5690 or 1-347-868-1016. You can also visit our website at https://doralhw.org or contact us at info@doralhw.org if you have any queries.