Complications of Celiac Disease
Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. What does this mean? Essentially the body is attacking itself every time a person with celiac consumes gluten. Do you have celiac disease? Take our celiac disease symptoms checklist
Celiac disease is triggered by consumption of the protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye. When people with celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, their immune system responds by damaging the finger-like villi of the small intestine. When the villi become damaged, the body is unable to absorb nutrients into the bloodstream, which can lead to malnourishment.
Left untreated, people with celiac disease can develop further complications such as other autoimmune diseases, osteoporosis, thyroid disease, and cancer.
More About Celiac Disease
There are more than 300 symptoms of celiac disease and some people may experience no symptoms at all. Learn about the varying symptoms and how different people are affected.
Celiac disease can be difficult to diagnose because it can present in a variety of different ways. The disease can be diagnosed using a blood test and confirmation biopsy. The only treatment is a lifelong gluten-free diet. Here you'll find everything you need to know to get diagnosed and get started on a gluten-free diet.
Celiac is related to a number of other conditions such as infertility, migraine headaches, osteoporosis, type 1 diabetes and thyroid disease. Learn about the different diseases that can co-exist with celiac and how they could affect your or a loved one.
Did you know that three million Americans have celiac disease but only about 5% of them are accurately diagnosed! There are several surprising and little known facts and figures regarding celiac disease. Be informed and spread the knowledge!
Millions of people struggle with the symptoms of celiac disease before being properly diagnosed. Individuals from all walks of life have suffered stomach pains, headaches, fatigue and a host of other symptoms before discovering they have celiac. Here you can read the personal stories of others who have shared many of the same symptoms that you have. After reading about the journeys of others, you may even be inspired to share your own and help others in the process.