top of page
Celiacs Disease Ribbon.jpg

Celiacs Disease

May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month and Represented by light green awareness pins, ribbons and wristbands

What is Celiacs Disease? 

Celiac disease affects the small intestine. When someone who suffers from Celiac eats food with gluten in it, it triggers an immune response. This then causes the small intestine to become inflamed. One thing that not all people realize is that even short-term inflammation that occurs consistently leads to permanent damage. So, if someone with Celiac disease accidentally or unknowingly eats something with gluten in it a couple times a month, that adds up to long-term damage pretty quickly. The inflammation isn’t the only dangerous thing that occurs with Celiac disease. Celiac disease can prevent proper absorption of nutrients from food. This can lead to malnutrition or critical deficiencies in certain blood levels, for example iron or calcium. This is why so many people with Celiac also suffer from anemia and osteoporosis.

​​

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disease. Autoimmune diseases occur when the body’s immune response is triggered and the body tries to fight what it believes is a foreign invader. For people with autoimmune diseases, the body mistakes the body for invaders. Essentially, the body attacks itself, thinking that it is protecting itself. One autoimmune disease often brings his other autoimmune diseases. Many symptoms mimic other diseases or are very common across the autoimmune spectrum. It can take years to diagnose the first autoimmune disease, and only after that does it become clear there may be another one somewhere else. Some common autoimmune diseases associated with Celiac disease include Lupus, Thyroid disease, Type 1 Diabetes, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and Sjogren’s syndrome.

​​

https://www.personalizedcause.com/blog/celiac-disease-awareness-month/

Symptoms

Every patient experiences Celiac disease differently.. One patient may not have diarrhea, but severe bloating instead. One may experience frequent vomiting and weight loss. Another may experience abnormal menstrual periods, intense cramping, anemia, and diarrhea. This combination that can look more like a reproductive issue than an intestinal one. It is apparent that diagnosis may not be so obvious in all patients because not all paitents share the same symptoms. This makes it incredibly difficult for some individuals to be properly diagnosed resulting in people suffering for years and permanent damage happening to their bodies. Diagnosis is crucial in preventing serious long-term health issues that are caused by Celiac disease.

​List of Symbols

  • Abdominal bloating

  • Abdominal pain

  • Anxiety and depression

  • Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and learning disabilites

  • Chronic diarrhea

  • Constipation

  • Damage to tooth enamel

  • Delayed puberty

  • Failure to thrive

  • Fatigue

  • Gas

  • Headaches or migraines

  • Iron-deficiency anemia

  • Irritability

  • Nausea and vomiting

  • Pale, foul-smelling stools

  • Seizures and lack of muscle coordination

  • Short stature

  • Weight loss

  • Cognitive impairment

  • Itchy, blistery skin rash (dermatitis herpetiformis)

  • Joint pain

  • Missed periods

  • Mouth ulcers and canker sores

  • Osteoporosis and osteomalacia

  • Peripheral neuropathy

  • Reduced functioning of the spleen (hyposplenism)

Women who suffer from Celiac may experience reproductive issues such as inconsistent menstrual cycles, infertility, miscarriage, and birth defects in their babies. This is largely due to poor nutrient absorption caused by Celiac. Children with Celiac can experience significant growth issues due to malabsorption. Other problems caused by Celiac can include osteoporosis, intestinal cancer (although rare), seizures, and more.

bottom of page