1. Gluten for Punishment
Celiac disease is an auto-immune condition that is triggered by the ingestion of gluten or wheat. Gluten is a protein found in wheat or wheat byproducts, and can be found in a wide variety of food sources. Celiac disease can also be known as "gluten allergy" or "wheat intolerance," and is generally thought to be a genetic disorder that can be passed at random within families. If a person with celiac disease eats product containing gluten their immune system will attack the lining of the intestine, damaging the digestive system completely.
2. Know the Symptoms
Celiac can affect virtually all aspects of the body, in addition to the lining of the intestine (small hairs called villi). The most common and notable symptoms are digestive, such as extreme diarrhea, constipation, bulky or foul bowel movements, vomiting and malabsorption. The damaging of the intestine leads to the body being unable to process and digest most nutrients, so a large percentage of celiac patients deal with malnutrition issues like swollen abdomens, frail and thin appearance, extreme weight loss (in some cases, weight gain), hair loss and general poor health. However, celiac disease does not stop at digestive symptoms, as others may experience depression, the inability to focus, loss of balance, bone and joint pain, muscle cramps and more. The most unfortunate symptoms of celiac disease affect female patients, who have increased risk of irregular cycles, miscarriage and eventual infertility.
3. Stress and Triggers
Although celiac disease is known as a genetic disease, the pattern of onset differs greatly between patients. For example, some may seem to be born with celiac and show symptoms as babies, while others may not become ill until far later in life. Physicians believe that celiac can be "triggered" at any point by stressful situations for the body, like surgery, an accident, pregnancy or childbirth. Another difficult factor in understanding celiac is that it can be triggered through minute amounts of cross-contamination (with severity differing widely with each case.) This means that patients must avoid coming in contact with a surface, person or object that has been eating gluten, and must be wary of manufacturers, restaurants and cooking utensils that may have touched these ingredients.
4. Discouraging Diagnosis
Perhaps one of the most difficult aspects of celiac allergies is that it can be very tricky to diagnose. Although some patients may clearly pass blood tests or endoscope biopsies (the two most prevalent forms of diagnosis), there are many factors that can confuse the testing process. For example, if a patient has already eliminated gluten from their diet, the stomach may be healed and show little signs of damage. The easiest way to diagnose celiac disease relates to eliminating gluten from the diet completely. A true celiac sufferer can feel better as soon a week or a few days; although the overall intestinal damage can take a year or more to truly heal. There is no cure for celiac disease, and the current treatment is a lifelong adherence to a gluten-free diet. This means that a patient must monitor their intake of foods at all times, memorize the many terms that signify gluten or wheat on packaging labels, as well as seek out gluten-free manufacturers.
5. Understand the Dangers
Celiac disease has a wide connection to many other disorders. Although a patient does not need one diagnosis to have another, many may find a connection between celiac and connected diseases. Everything from diabetes, multiple sclerosis, autism, ADD, cystic fibrosis, lupus, arthritis and even seizures, has been found to have a connection to celiac disease (or may simply be diagnosed to a close relative within the blood line). If left untreated, celiac disease can lead to a wide variety of serious disorders, as well as stomach cancer, which is why it is imperative to follow the strict gluten-free diet at all times. The more the celiac patient knows about the disease and the gluten-free lifestyle, the better their health and enjoyment of life.
