Symptoms of Celiac Disease

Following a gluten-free diet is the only way to keep the symptoms of celiac disease under control.

What is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that affects the small intestine. The disease damages this organ and keeps patients from being able to properly absorb nutrients. Consumption of gluten triggers the damaging effects of Celiac Disease.

When a person with celiac disease ingests gluten, his or her immune system attacks the villi within the small intestine, resulting in an inability for nutrients from food to enter the bloodstream. As villi damage increases, the patient becomes malnourished, no matter how much food he or she consumes.

Celiac Disease Symptoms

Some people exhibit symptoms of Celiac Disease that can lead to diagnosis before significant intestinal damage occurs. Those who recognize symptoms early and seek help immediately have the best chance of prevening serious intestinal damage.

These symptoms frequently include:

• Abdominal pain and bloating
• Anemia
• Bone Pain
• Chronic Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Dermatitis Herpetiformis (itchy skin rash)
• Fatigue
• Gas Problems
• Joint Pain
• Menstrual Irregularity
• Mouth ulcers

• Muscle Cramps
• Osteoporosis
• Recurrent Miscarriages
• Seizures
• Tingling and Numbness in Extremities
• Tooth problems (enamel loss and discoloration)
• Stool Problems (fatty, foul odor, pale in color)

Not everyone with the disease experiences warning signs of the condition. Some people are asymptomatic until the effects of serious malnourishment begin to manifest themselves.

Controlling the Symptoms of Celiac Disease

Because of the relationship between gluten consumption and disease activity, it is necessary for those with celiac disease to follow a strict gluten-free diet. Upon eliminating gluten from the diet, intestinal damage stops progressing, the small intestines heal, and for most people the symptoms stop.

If the patient doesn’t notice symptom relief within a few weeks, it’s important to evaluate the diet for hidden sources of gluten. Most people will stop experiencing intestinal damage as soon as all gluten consumption is eliminated. However, individuals who go without diagnosis for too long often have permanent damage and may require intravenous nutrition to survive.

Living the Gluten-Free Lifestyle

Controlling the symptoms of Celiac Disease requires permanently eliminating gluten from the diet. Gluten is a grain protein present in most products made with wheat. Once an individual is diagnosed with Celiac Disease, he or she will have to completely change the way he or she thinks about eating.

Individuals with this condition have to learn to be diligent when it comes to reading labels, and must watch carefully for gluten in surprising places. Many processed foods contain gluten, even ones that are not typically associated with wheat. Foods like ketchup, ice cream, and mayonnaise often contain gluten. Additionally, gluten is often a binding agent in vitamins and other pills, and even shows up in some lipsticks and on Teflon coated pots and pans.

Celiac Disease Diet Resources

The Celiac Sprue Association

The Celiac Sprue Association is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping Celiac Disease patients cope with the illness and make the necessary diet and lifestyle adjustments needed to keep it under control.

The association’s website includes a great deal of free information, including details about:

• Dietary choices
• Formulas for gluten-free flours

Carol Fenster, Ph.D. - Leading Gluten-Free Authority and Author

• Glossary of grains and flour
• Gluten-free living
• Links to local support group chapters
• Recipes
• Self-management for Celiac disease patients
• Additional beneficial information

The Savory Palate from Carol Fenster

After being diagnosed with a gluten intolerance in 1988 and finding very little information on living with her medical condition, Carol Fenster, Ph.D. began to research and write about the subject. A wealth of valuable information is available on Fenster’s website, SavoryPalate.com, including a directory of mail order and online resources for gluten-free products.

Fenster has written several lifestyle manuals and cookbooks focused on helping people with gluten-intolerances learn to cope with their dietary needs. She also developed a line of gluten-free mixes and recipes for Bob’s Red Mill.

Keeping Symptoms Under Control

Living a gluten-free lifestyle can be challenging, but it is certainly preferable to becoming completely unable to absorb nutrition from food. By learning what to watch for on food labels and changing cooking and eating habits, Celiac disease patients can live normal, healthy lives.