What is celiac disease? It’s an autoimmune illness triggered when one eats gluten, a protein found in wheat and barley. It also goes by the name nontropical sprue, celiac sprue, or gluten-sensitive enteropathy.
If a celiac disease patient eats any of these things, it might lead to damage to the villi, leading to difficulties in processing food. However, it’s not easy to diagnose this illness. Research shows that one out of 100 people have celiac disease but only 30% get a diagnosis.
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Why do People Get Celiac Disease?
There are several things that trigger celiac disease, including genetics, and eating foods with gluten. Gastrointestinal infections and infants’ eating habits are believed to be other factors that might lead to celiac disease but remain unproven. Furthermore, pregnancy, surgery, emotional stress or childbirth are triggers.
What Happens if Celiac is Left Untreated?
If celiac disease is left untreated, it might lead to other health conditions, such as osteoporosis or osteopenia, heart disease, infertility and miscarriage, pancreatic insufficiency, liver failure, lactose intolerance, and iron deficiency anaemia.
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What Are The Signs and Symptoms of Celiac Disease?
The signs and symptoms of celiac disease differ from one person to another and between children and adults. These are the digestive symptoms: diarrhoea, weight loss, constipation, bloating & gas, fatigue, nausea & vomiting.
However, some symptoms aren’t related to the digestive system, including mouth ulcers, headaches & fatigue, joint pain, itchy, and blistery skin rash, called dermatitis herpetiformis.
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What Organs Are Affected By Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease mainly affects the small intestines, the organ that’s primarily responsible for absorbing nutrients. Eating gluten causes damage to the lining of the small intestines. Furthermore, it might lead to malabsorption leading to pancreatic disease, internal haemorrhaging, osteoporosis, tooth enamel defects, organ disorders (gall bladder, liver, and spleen), central and peripheral nervous system disease, and gynaecological disorders.
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What Blood Test is Done For Celiac Disease?
Celiac disease is diagnosed through two blood tests: serology testing and genetic testing. Serology testing is used to look for antibodies in the blood. An immune reaction to gluten can be detected if there are certain levels of protein elevation, and genetic testing is done to rule out the disease.
If celiac disease is detected after these tests have been done, further testing is needed. This involves endoscopy, which uses a camera to look into a patient’s small intestines and takes a small tissue to do a biopsy for analysis.
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Another test is capsule endoscopy which involves the eating of a vitamin that’s been fitted with a camera inside. It takes images of the organ which are transmitted to a recorder. This test is usually used when the entire small intestines need to be scanned.
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What Medications Should Be Avoided With Celiac Disease?
When taking celiac medication, you should watch out for the following elements to avoid exacerbating the illness.
Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) make the gut more permeable thus allowing gluten to easily pass through, worsening the disease.
Starch-containing products: some drugs are made out of starch like potatoes, corn, and rice, all of which contain gluten and might interfere with your digestive system.
You will notice this by the use of dextrose, dextrins, sodium starch glycolate, maltodextrin, modified starch, dextrin-maltose, and pregelatinized starch.
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Conclusion
What is celiac disease? It’s a serious autoimmune disorder where the body reacts to gluten, damaging the small intestine. Although it can cause a wide range of symptoms, from digestive issues to skin problems, the condition is manageable with a strict gluten-free diet. Early diagnosis and careful management are key to living a healthy, full life with celiac disease.
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