What is Celiac Disease?
If you have stumbled upon this article, it is most likely because you or a loved one has recently been diagnosed with celiac disease. Do not panic! You are not alone if you feel completely lost about the diagnosis after recently finding out about celiac disease, or are researching on behalf of a loved one that was recently diagnosed with celiac disease. Discovering celiac disease can be quite challenging, confusing, and scary to say the least. Luckily, there is a whole community of celiac disease patients who are on this journey with you. Continue to read this article if you want to learn more about celiac disease because of a recent diagnosis.
Celiac disease is a diagnosis that has the world searching the internet for answers. While celiac disease has a method for its patients to follow in order to avoid damage and symptoms, it is much more complicated than just taking an Advil and moving on with your day. In fact, it is a disease that many patients, medical professionals, and doctors are still trying to understand. Though we have come quite a ways with celiac disease, there is still a long way to go.
What we do know about celiac disease is—it is an autoimmune disease where the small intestine negatively reacts to the digestion of gluten. For celiac disease patients, once gluten is digested, the immune system automatically triggers a response in the body. Though we know what gluten is, the body interprets it as an invader. As gluten enters the body, the small intestine becomes triggered and overreacts to this ingredient. Essentially, the body is then signaled to fight. As a result of entering a flight or fight mode, celiac disease patients experience extreme symptoms.
What is Gluten?
Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye, and barley. It is used as an ingredient in many different types of food. For celiac disease patients it is extremely important to be cautious of the foods that they are eating to avoid small intestinal damage, extreme symptoms, and further health complications.
What are the Symptoms of Celiac Disease?
Those who have celiac disease may experience many different symptoms prior to beginning a gluten-free diet. Some celiac disease patients may experience very few symptoms, while others struggle immensely with celiac disease symptoms. Strangely enough, there are celiac disease patients that are asymptomatic, or in other words— they do not experience any celiac disease symptoms, but still test positive for the disease. Celiac disease patients may experience the following symptoms prior to starting a gluten-free diet.
The following list is the most commons symptoms experienced by celiac disease patients, according to Celiac.org:
- Abdominal pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Fatigue
- Weight loss
- Weight gain
- Bloating
- Gas
Many celiac disease patients also experience symptoms that aren’t related to the digestive tract, such as:
- Dermatitis herpetiformis
- Osteoporosis or osteomalacia
- Headaches
- Anemia
- Joint pain
- Hyposplenism
- Cognitive impairment or brain fog
- Balance issues or dizziness
- Tingling and numbness in the hands and feet
- Tooth enamel damage
- Irritability
- Delayed puberty
- Infertility
- Seizures
- ADHD
- Anxiety and depression
Celiac disease can cause the above-mentioned symptoms even though most of these symptoms do not directly relate to the digestive system. Celiac disease damages the small intestine, which digests food and absorbs the necessary and essential nutrients your body needs to thrive. When this is damaged, the body will become affected in other areas, and the patient will begin to experience health complications. We will go further into detail about how the small intestine is affected when celiac disease patients digest gluten.
How is Celiac Disease Diagnosed?
There are a number of ways celiac disease is discovered. It is important to note that the patient must be eating gluten prior to tests in order to discover whether they have celiac disease or not. This is because the body will only trigger a response when gluten is consumed and this is the only way for tests to detect the disease. Furthermore, it’s the only way for doctors to visually see if your body is being affected by the consumption of gluten.
Typically, doctors will either run blood tests or perform an endoscopy procedure to indicate whether the patient has celiac disease or not. Here are a few scenarios that are common among celiac disease diagnoses.
Scenario 1: The patient is experiencing digestive complications. The doctor recommends an endoscopy. The endoscopy shows inflammation and intestinal damage. The doctor biopsies the small intestine and suggests a celiac disease blood panel. Both the biopsy and test results come back positive for celiac disease.
Scenario 2: The patient is experiencing many symptoms both digestive and non-digestive. The doctor orders blood tests to test for diseases, vitamin deficiencies, etc. The patient tests positive for celiac disease. The doctor suggests an endoscopy to check for intestinal damage.
Though these are the most common ways celiac disease patients find out about their diagnosis, oftentimes, celiac disease patients go undiagnosed for months, and sometimes even years.
Is Celiac Disease Curable?
Celiac disease is not curable. It is a life-long disease that requires patients to follow a gluten-free diet for life. Doctors have hinted at a cure however, this could take decades, or even centuries to perfect.
Is Celiac Disease Contagious?
Celiac disease is not contagious. It is a genetic autoimmune disease that is hereditary.
What Causes Celiac Disease?
The cause of celiac disease is still being studied and there has not been a definite answer as to how it is caused. It has been proven that celiac disease runs in families however, it may skip a generation or two. So if you know of someone who has celiac disease in your bloodline, it would be wise to get tested. Additionally, there have been doctors that have explained that many individuals have the gene, but the disease is not triggered until later in life. The causes of celiac disease are still being studied.
How is the Small Intestine Affected when Celiac Disease Patients Eat Gluten?
The small intestine digests food and absorbs the necessary vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, etc. that your body needs. Within the small intestine is the villi, which grabs onto the essentials as food passes through your body. The villi are finger-like and resemble that of a sea urchin. Though they are similar to sea urchins, they do not close but rather catch what the body needs to survive. When celiac disease patients eat gluten, the villi become damaged and become shriveled and look as though they are withering away. In this regard, the villi are unable to grab onto the food’s nutrients when passing through the digestive tract, causing vitamin deficiency, stomach pain, digestive issues, and further health complications as a response.
How Long Will It Take for My Small Intestine to Heal after Eating Gluten?
For celiac disease patients, once the small intestine is damaged it may take anywhere from 3 months to 2 years for the small intestine to completely heal after eating gluten. This will vary depending on your age, and how quickly your body tends to heal.
Celiac Disease and Cross Contact
One thing you may not have considered, like many of us upon being newly diagnosed, is the risk of cross-contact. Cross-contact is when your gluten-free food has been exposed to gluten-containing foods. For example, you use the same toaster for your gluten-free waffles as your sibling who toasts gluten-containing waffles. Or maybe you baked your gluten-free pizza in the same oven as a gluten-containing pizza. You created a charcuterie board and your gluten-free crackers are right next to the non-gluten-free crackers. The possibilities of gluten-free food cross-contacting with a gluten-filled food item are endless. Now the question is— can cross-contact between gluten-free and non-gluten-free foods affect celiac disease patients? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Cross contact can trigger a response in celiac disease patients where they will suffer from celiac disease symptoms, as well as intestinal damage.
Why is Gluten Used?
Gluten is often used as an ingredient to ensure food stays intact. It acts like glue and aids in the overall thickening and consistency of food. It provides food with texture and adds a stretchy consistency when used as an ingredient.
How is Gluten Made?
Grains such as wheat, rye, and barley contain proteins known as glutenin and gliadin. When these two proteins are mixed with one another, and combined with water, the two proteins link and bond together, which creates gluten.
What Foods Have Gluten in it?
Unfortunately, many foods have gluten in them. For celiac disease patients, it’s important to confirm that the food they are about to eat is gluten-free. The following list is an example of what foods typically contain gluten. Of course, there are many other foods that contain gluten that is not listed, and it is always important to do your own research before eating foods you are unsure of.
- Bread
- Pasta
- Wheat tortillas
- Cereal
- Baked goods
- Crackers
- Beer
- Gravy
- Soup
- Certain toppings such as croutons, marinades, soy sauce, salad dressings, barbecue sauces, etc.
Key Points to Keep in Mind
- Celiac disease is a serious auto-immune disease
- Following a gluten-free diet is the only treatment for celiac disease
- Gluten is wheat, rye, & barely and is an ingredient in most foods
- Celiac disease is detected by blood tests, an endoscopy, and a biopsy
- Celiac disease affects the small intestine
- Celiac disease can lead to intestinal damage and further health complications
Being diagnosed with celiac disease is a journey and a life-long learning experience. While it can be challenging at times, it also sparks the creative side you may not know you had. Many celiac disease patients are experiencing exactly what you are feeling. You are not alone, and we welcome you to the celiac disease community and encourage you to enjoy the culture that comes with being a celiac disease patient.
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