Gluten intolerance and ulcerative colitis are two gastrointestinal disorders that may cause similar symptoms. However, the underlying causes, as well as factors that trigger symptoms are different. Although a person may have both gluten intolerance and ulcerative colitis at the same time, the two conditions are generally not related to each other.
Gluten Intolerance
Gluten intolerance, which is also called celiac disease, results in an autoimmune reaction to gluten, a protein common in grains such as barley, wheat and rye. When a person who has gluten intolerance ingests foods containing gluten, his immune system mistakenly recognizes gluten as a threat and attempts to attack it, explains MedlinePlus. In the process, the immune system damages the lining of the small intestine, leading to symptoms of nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, bloating, abdominal pain and constipation. Other symptoms may also occur, including malnourishment, anemia, muscle or joint pain, fatigue and depression.
Ulcerative Colitis
Ulcerative colitis, often abbreviated UC, is one form of inflammatory bowel disease that results in large sores, or ulcers, inside the colon. Ulcerative colitis can cause many of the same symptoms as gluten intolerance, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Additional non-intestinal symptoms may also occur, such as fatigue, anemia, joint pain, rectal bleeding and skin lesions. The exact cause of UC is unknown. People with UC also have abnormalities in their immune system, but doctors do not know if abnormal autoimmune reactions are a cause or a result of the disease, the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse explains.
Relationship
In rare cases, a person with UC may also have celiac disease, according to the Rush University Medical Center; however, there does not appear to be a relationship between UC and celiac disease. Because both conditions may cause similar symptoms, distinguishing between these two disorders and other digestive disorders can be difficult, warns the National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse.
Other Inflammatory Bowel Diseases
Ulcerative colitis is just one form of inflammatory bowel disease, or IBD. Other forms of IBD include Crohn's disease, microscopic colitis and others. Crohn's disease usually affects all parts of the digestive system, including the stomach, mouth, esophagus and small intestine, while UC is usually limited the colon, also known as the large intestine. Microscopic colitis is a form of IBD that does not cause large lesions in the colon, but only causes inflammation deep in the colon tissue. People with microscopic colitis have an increased risk of also having celiac disease, reports the Rush University Medical Center.
References
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Celiac Disease; Kelly Ciaran et al.; September 2008
- MedlinePlus: Celiac Disease -- Sprue; David C. Dugdale et al.; January 2010
- Rush University Medical Center: Celiac Disease and IBD
- National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse: Celiac Disease: Ulcerative Colitis; February 2006
