Eating foods that contain wheat and experiencing joint pain may be an indication of celiac disease. What was once a genetic disorder affecting millions of infants and young children born with the disease is now affecting older people whom are becoming intolerant to gluten, a protein in wheat, barley and rye. Digestive problems are very common in infants and children born with celiac disease. However, adults with celiac disease have very different symptoms like bone pain or joint pain according to the National Institute of Health, NIH.
Gluten
Gliadin is a natural protein found in gluten that may cause allergic reactions. The protein in wheat is gliadin, and rye and barley have a similar protein. Many foods and even non food items contain gluten. The experts from the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter state that products labeled as "gluten-free or wheat-free" are not entirely gluten-free. However, the experts say corn and rice are fine because they do not contain the gluten protein, gliadin. Because so many non food sources contain small amount of gluten but are not labeled as such, in 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration required companies to label their products containing gluten and stricter rules about labeling products "gluten-free." So all products that contain even the smallest amounts of gluten and other food allergens must say so on the product.
Autoimmune Disease
Being sensitive or intolerant to gluten causes an abnormal reaction by the immune system -- it attacks the lining of the small intestine and can eventually destroy it. According to NIH, even eating small amounts of gluten can cause this reaction. Your intestinal lining is the direct pathway for nutrients to enter your bloodstream. If your intestinal lining is damaged, you will not get any calcium or other nutrients essential for bone growth or prevent bone loss into your system. If you do not get enough calcium in your diet, as an adult you are at risk for bone loss which causes osteoporosis, a bone disease.
Hereditary or Not
Celiac disease use to be considered a hereditary disease that you are either born with or you develop it in childhood -- not anymore. The number of people diagnosed with celiac disease has doubled over the past 15 years, and surprisingly among older people according to a news story released in September, 2010 by Medline Plus. Researchers are investigating which environmental factors would trigger celiac disease in people with no family history of the disease. Physicians are now screening older people who report symptoms of joint pain, bone pain chronic fatigue, depression, and digestive symptoms for celiac disease.
Medical Tests
Celiac disease is hard to diagnose because the symptoms are so similar to gastrointestinal and bowel disorders. Often it is misdiagnosed. There is no specific blood test for celiac disease. Your doctor can test your blood levels of certain autoimmune antibodies. For accurate antibody test results, you need to eat foods with gluten in them prior to the blood test. If necessary, your doctor can order an intestinal biopsy. This test is performed by taking a very small sample of your intestinal lining to see if it is damaged.
Joint Pain and Bone Disease
Some people may never have any symptoms of celiac disease. Because the symptoms are so hard to diagnose especially historically when the disease was first discovered, many people may have not been diagnosed. Anyone who goes through life with untreated celiac disease are at risk for bone disease, or osteoporosis. Children do not develop enough bone mass needed for normal growth and development. Adults will end of with bone loss. According to NIH, researchers are finding a strong connection between untreated celiac disease and joint pain which is one of the symptoms of osteoporosis. If you are 50 and older and experiencing bone or joint pain, arthritis, or have been recently diagnosed with osteoporosis, talk to your doctor about screening for celiac disease.
References
- National Institute of Health; National Digestive Diseases: Celiac Disease
- Medline Plus News: Celiac Disease Seems to Be on the Rise Mainly in the Elderly: Study
- U.C. Berkeley Wellness Letter May 2001: Gluten Sensitivity
- National Institute of Health: What People With Celiac Disease Need to Know About Osteoporosis
