What is Celiac's Disease: About Celiac's Disease

Celiac's Disease is also known as Coeliac Disease, Celiac Sprue and Gluten Intolerance.

Celiac's disease is and autoimmune disorder of the small intestine. This means that the bodies immune system is functioning abnormally and is producing antibodies that actually fight it's own good cells. This disorder can effect anyone of any age, from infancy to old age. However, your chances increase about 10% if a first degree relative such as a mother, father, or sibling have been diagnosed with Celiac's Disease.

Celiac's disease is often known as the disease that results in your body not not react to gluten products the way it should. Because of this people with Celiac's disease are put on strict gluten free diets often missing out on many loved foods especially baked goods. The good news is there is ways around this and someone with Celiac's disease is still able to enjoy muffins and cookies.

When someone with Celiac's disease consumes a product containing gluten such as wheat, rye, barely, ect. The immune system cross-reacts with the tissues in the intestine resulting in inflammation of the intestine. This then leads to malabsorption.

People may go years with Celiac's Disease without even knowing it. Until, that is, they come in contact with an environmental trigger, viral trigger, or a bacterial trigger. These trigger's will then cause the person to begin experieincing the symptoms of Celiac's Disease.

The signs and symptoms of Celiac's Disease vary from person to person. Some may not display any symptoms at all, others may only experience mild symptoms and some may experience severe symptoms. Some of the common symptoms of Celiac's Disease include;

• Abdominal cramps
• Gas
• Abdominal pain
• Diarrhea
• Fatigue
• Nausea
• Muscle weakness
• Stunted growth in children
• Foul smelling fatty/oily stools
• Failure to thrive due to the malabsorption
• Weight loss
• Easy bruising

Celiac's disease is often diagnosed after other conditions are ruled out. A biopsy of the small intestine is then done to collect a tissue samples. This procedure is called an endoscopy. During the endoscopy a small endoscope is guided down the throat and down into the small intestine.

Blood tests may also be done to check if the body is creating antibodies. As Celiac's Disease is an autoimmune disorder the body will create antibodies against itself. In which can been seen in a blood test. A blood test will also let your doctor know if you have anemia, electrolyte imbalances, mineral imbalances, and thyroid problems.

The treatment for Celiac's Disease is a gluten free diet. The person with Celiac's disease must strictly follow this gluten free diet in order to keep symptoms at bay. People with Celiac's disease usually follow this strict diet for the rest of their lives. Unfortunately this may be difficult to do. And the person may become upset that they are no longer able to enjoy some of the foods that they used to. However, by following this diet they are usually able to live life symptom free.

Avoid these gluten products.

• Wheat
• Barely
• Rye
• Oats

I understand that many foods contains at least one of these ingredients. However, there are still plenty of foods that can be eaten.