Celiac Disease Symptoms

A digestive disease that causes harm to the small intestine, celiac disease interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food. When a person who has celiac disease consumes food that has gluten, the tiny protrusions that look like fingers and are called “villi” that lines the small intestine are destroyed. Normally, this lining or villi absorbs nutrients from food in to the bloodstream; but in the case of a person with celiac disease, this does not happen. Someone who does not have healthy villi becomes malnourished and weak even if they consume food normally.

People with celiac disease are unable to tolerate gluten which is mainly found in wheat, barley and rye, but is also found in other products such as vitamins, medicines and even lip balms. It is unfortunately a genetic disease and runs in families. Even if it is inactive for some time, it can be triggered by childbirth, surgery, after a viral infection or by severe stress.

Celiac does not have the same symptoms for everyone.  Digestive system problems may be most prominent, and this is more often seen in babies and young children. When it occurs in the digestive system the child may start having abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea or constipation, vomiting, smelly stools with an increased amount of fat in them, and weight loss. Children with celiac disease can become very irritable. Also, due to non-absorption of nutrients, a child’s growth may be hindered, puberty may be delayed, and she may have defective teeth.

Adults on the other hand are less likely to have digestive problems. Instead, they could become anemic and feel tired, depressed and anxious most of the time.  They could also complain of joint pains and arthritis, have seizures and an itchy skin with feelings of numbness in the hands and feet. Missing menstrual periods is common, and recurring miscarriages may be indicative of celiac disease.

Celiac symptoms also can vary depending on the person’s age and the amount of damage that has been caused to the small intestine.  Most adults can live a long time before he or she is diagnosed with celiac disease. The longer it takes to be diagnosed the more the chances of complications in later life.  Some people may not have any obvious celiac disease signs, but then have dangerous complications such as liver diseases, osteoporosis or even intestinal cancer.

Although it is not yet known why this disease affects each person differently, research is being carried out to find the cause. It is generally thought that the number of  days or months he or she was breastfeed,  when they started consuming food with gluten and how much of gluten food they consumed can be deciding factors on how the celiac disease metastasizes in each person. The latest research suggests the longer the period a child was breastfed, the later the symptoms would appear in a person with celiac disease.

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