Celiac disease
What is celiac disease?
Celiac disease is a digestive disorder. Much of the food we eat contains gluten, a protein found in foods made with wheat, barley, or rye. When people with celiac disease eat foods with gluten, their immune system kicks in in the small intestine. This causes damage over time to the wall of the small intestine.
Along the intestine wall are small hair-like projections, called villi. They absorb the food’s nutrients as the food passes through. In celiac disease, the villi become damaged and the nutrients can’t be absorbed.
When someone with celiac disease eats gluten, it’s like eating poison. There’s no such thing as being able to eat “just a little bit,” of gluten as the body can’t tolerate it. Since the damage is not obvious, much damage can be done before anything is noticed.
What are the symptoms?
The symptoms of celiac disease are often confused with other digestive problems. They include:
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abdominal cramping
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diarrhea and/or constipation
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bloating
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weight loss
The symptom that separates it from other digestive disorders is the foul-smelling, fatty stool (bowel movement).
f the disease continues untreated, other symptoms of malnutrition may become obvious.
Why does it cause pain?
The abdominal pain is caused by bloating as gas builds up in the intestines. Cramping from diarrhea or constipation is also quite painful.
If celiac disease is under control, however, there should be no pain.
What can be done?
People with celiac disease must follow a completely gluten-free diet. Unfortunately, gluten can be found everywhere from the obvious loaf of bread to the unexpected coating on a medication.
Following a gluten-free diet allows the intestine to heal and the body to absorb the nutrients from the allowed foods.
For more in-depth information, here are some sites that have reliable and up-to-date information:
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