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Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder. It happens when someone has a food intolerance to gluten. Gluten (pronounced: GLOOT-in) is the general name of proteins found in wheat, rye, barley, and other grains.
In celiac (pronounced: SEE-lee-ak) disease, the body can’t absorb important nutrients. If that happens, a person can become malnourished.
Doctors don't know for sure why the immune system reacts to gluten. But if you have celiac disease, there are ways to manage symptoms and prevent damage to the intestines.
Celiac disease — also known as celiac sprue, gluten-sensitive enteropathy, and non-tropical sprue — can cause a wide variety of symptoms, such as:
Some people don’t have any symptoms.
Symptoms can happen at any time in a person's life. Some people have problems the first time they have gluten, but others get symptoms years after safely consuming gluten products.
In celiac disease, gluten triggers the immune system to damage villi. Villi (pronounced: VIL-eye) are finger-like projections lining the small intestine that absorb nutrients from food and send them into the bloodstream. Damaged villi can't absorb important vitamins and minerals.
The cause of celiac disease isn’t known. It tends to run in families, so someone with a family history of the condition may be more likely to get it.
Diagnosing celiac disease usually starts with a blood test to look for antibodies to gluten and other proteins in the intestine’s lining. Antibodies are proteins the immune system makes that recognize and get rid of germs and other things it sees as threats. They usually stay in our bodies in case we have to fight that germ or problem again. If the blood test finds high levels of antibodies to gluten, the doctor probably will do a biopsy of the small intestine to send for testing.
To do a biopsy, doctors put a long, thin tube (called an endoscope) through the mouth and stomach into the small intestine to get a small tissue sample. A person usually is sedated or under general anesthesia to sleep through the procedure.
If someone is diagnosed with celiac disease, their siblings, parents, and grandparents should get tested too. They could have the disease but no symptoms. Celiac disease that isn’t found in adults for a long time can lead to serious health problems.
There is no cure for celiac disease. Researchers are working on new treatments, and many show promise. But for now, the condition is managed with a gluten-free diet. This lets the intestinal lining heal, and helps ease symptoms.
If you have celiac disease, the doctor will guide you on which foods you can eat and which to avoid. These changes will have a big impact, so the doctor may suggest that you meet with a dietitian for advice.
Your diet should have no wheat, barley, rye, and related grains. No law requires food manufacturers to list gluten on food labels, so avoiding it can be hard. In the United States, all foods must be clearly labeled if they contain any of the top eight food allergens, including wheat. But wheat-free doesn’t mean gluten-free — some wheat-free products may have gluten-containing grains like barley and rye in them.
Carefully read food labels on all items before you buy or eat them. The Celiac Disease Foundation’s website lists many foods and drinks to watch out for.
Here are some tips:
Even with these precautions, you may ingest gluten at some point. That's OK — a single small exposure may cause mild inflammation in the gut, but probably won't lead to immediate symptoms. Normally, the lining of small intestine completely renews itself every 3–4 days. So after a single incident, new cells quickly replace damaged ones. Repeated exposure to gluten, though, will lead to ongoing damage of the intestinal lining.
Adapting to a gluten-free diet can be a challenge, especially at first. But over time, you will get to know which foods are OK and which are not, making it easier to find safe meals, snacks, and ingredients.
Remember that you’re not alone with these dietary problems. Your doctor might be able to recommend a local support group. Online support groups and organizations can help too, such as:
Note: All information is for educational purposes only. For specific medical advice, diagnoses, and treatment, consult your doctor.
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