While gluten-free food options have been rising in popularly over the last decade, there is one group for whom a gluten-free diet is critical for good health – people who have celiac disease. May is Celiac Disease Awareness Month, a good time for a refresher on why ingesting gluten is so dangerous for those living with this disease.

What is celiac disease?

Celiac disease is a chronic (long-term) immune disorder that affects the digestive system. It is triggered by gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. For people with celiac disease, gluten in these foods causes the body’s immune system to damage or destroy villi in the small bowel.

Villi are tiny, fingerlike tubules that line your small intestine. Blood vessels in the villi absorb nutrients from food. If villi are damaged or destroyed, you may become malnourished no matter how much you eat. The villi heal once you eliminate all gluten from your diet.

People with celiac disease may also have other disorders related to the immune system:

• Type 1 diabetes
• Thyroid diseases
• Liver diseases

How is celiac disease diagnosed?

Celiac disease is genetic, meaning it can be passed down from parent to child. Symptoms include:

• Poor appetite
• Stomach pain or bloating
• Pale stools
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Chronic diarrhea (most common)

Advanced symptoms include:

• Weight Loss
• Iron deficiency anemia
• Excess fat in the stool, a condition called steatorrhea
• Skin changes such as itchy, blistery skin

“Celiac disease can look like other diseases such as Crohn’s disease, irritable bowel syndrome or ulcerative colitis,” said Dawn French, APRN-CNP of Aultman Medical Group Gastroenterology. “If you are experiencing symptoms, it’s important to follow up with a gastroenterologist, who can order the appropriate tests to confirm a diagnosis.”

Your provider may order bloodwork to check the level of infection-fighting cells (antibodies) that react to gluten in your blood.

The most accurate way to see if you truly have celiac disease is for your provider to take a biopsy of the villi to check for damage.

This involves an endoscopy, which is when your provider inserts a long, thin tube (endoscope) into your mouth and moves it through your stomach and into your small intestine. You will be given medicine to help you relax during this process. A tissue sample will be taken using tools passed through the tube, and then it will be checked in the lab.

How is celiac disease treated?

While your provider may prescribe supplements to make up for lost nutrients, a gluten-free diet is the only treatment for celiac disease.

Even the smallest amount of gluten can damage your small intestine, so it is important to read and understand nutrition labels.

Grains like wheat, rye and barley have gluten, so any food listing them in the ingredients list can trigger a reaction. Many processed foods such as pasta, bread and cereal are made with wheat or barley.

Stores offer a variety of foods like meat, fish, fruits and vegetables that offer a well-balanced diet without gluten. And you can now find gluten-free bread and pasta easily if you still want to eat those foods.

Source:
MedlinePlus.gov
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases