Celiac Disease: Symptoms, Causes and Treatment

At the current time, people suffer from multiple diseases in their day-to-day lives. One such kind of disease is celiac disease. Celiac disease is faced by every 1 person in 100 but people don’t treat it well. This may be because people don’t know about it and have no idea how dangerous it is. We are sharing complete details of its symptoms, causes, and treatments. 

What Is Celiac Disease?

Celiac disease has some other names as well, such as celiac sprue, nontropical sprue, and gluten-sensitive enteropathy. It is an autoimmune disorder in which our immune system reacts negatively to gluten (a protein naturally found in wheat and grains). Someone who has celiac disease faces inflammation and pain in the belly and has a risk of intestine damage. At this state, protein absorption gets threatened.

Celiac Disease Causes And Risk Factors 

Celiac disease can develop in anyone who consumes gluten but it is generally found in females probably because they are more prone to autoimmune conditions. This disease can also be caused by genetics. An individual who has a celiac disease, parent, or sibling has a 1 in 10 chance of suffering from this disease. People with Down Syndrome, Turner Syndrome, Type 1 diabetes, Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, and autoimmune thyroid diseases have a greater chance of developing celiac disease. Some other risk factors of celiac disease are:

• Consuming gluten at an early age.
• Facing too many viral infections during childhood
• Having genes associated with celiac disease.

What Are The Symptoms Of Celiac Disease?

Celiac Disease has different types of symptoms that can also appear over a long time. The symptoms also vary according to age. 

Symptoms Of Celiac Disease In Children

• Kids may face sudden pain in their stomachs. 
• Gas is a common symptom found in children.
• Chronic diarrhoea or constipation may appear in the early stages in kids.
• Kids may also experience high nausea.
• Because of this disease, children may get their bellies swollen. 
• Vomiting is one of the common symptoms found in kids suffering from celiac disease.

Symptoms Of Celiac Disease In Adults

• Adults may experience sudden fatigue even without working much. 
• Even after eating good meals, adults may face weight loss.
• Diarrhoea is a common symptom found in the early stage of this disease. 
• Sudden and extreme abdominal pain could be an early sign of disease. 
• Nausea and vomiting are commonly visible in adults who have celiac disease. 
• Bloating and gas could appear in adults facing the disease.
• Even after practising strategies for optimal oral health and aesthetics, people may face mouth ulcers. 

Symptoms Of Celiac Disease In Old People 

• Iron deficiency caused by the disease can lead to Anaemia.
• Osteoporosis (softening of bones) is another symptom of this disease in youngsters.  
• Youngsters with this disease may experience itchy, blistery skin rashes also known as dermatitis herpetiformis. 
• Nervous system injuries like numbness and tingling in hands and feet are visible and unavoidable symptoms.
• Youngsters may also experience some pain in their joints. 

People have the risk of celiac disease at their every age. Below is a table that shows their chances of developing the disease according to their age groups.

Age	Chances of developing celiac disease
2-4	10.5%
4-12	16.7%
12-20	27%
Over 20	34%

Long-Term Effects Of Celiac Disease

As we have shared above, undiagnosed celiac disease can cause serious problems. Below are some long-term effects:

• People with this disease have a 2x higher risk of facing coronary artery disease ( a heart disease when plaque builds up on artery walls, threatening blood supply to the heart). These people also have a 4x higher risk of facing small bowel cancers.
• Untreated celiac can result in diabetes, multiple sclerosis, infertility and miscarriage, intestinal cancers, and other conditions.
• Kids who are suffering from this disease may experience delayed growth and short height. This is because of the prevention of protein absorption.
• Untreated celiac can bring you to a stage equal to end-stage renal disease ( a condition of kidney disease when kidneys are damaged and can’t function on their own). 

Celiac Disease Treatment

• A doctor will diagnose the disease according to your medical history. They may ask for tests, such as blood tests, genetic tests, and biopsies. If tests prove celiac disease, the doctor will perform an intestinal biopsy with an endoscope and diagnose the disease. 
• Adding gluten-free food to your diet can also improve the symptoms helping the intestine to heal. 
• People should consume vitamin and mineral supplements as they will fulfil the deficiency caused by the disease. 

Conclusion

Celiac disease is a serious disease that can lead to coronary artery diseases, small bowel cancers, hair fall, and other problems. The disease is easy to occur but difficult to treat. People of all ages can face this disease. Limiting protein absorption, this disease can also cause iron deficiency. People with this disease are advised to consult a doctor quickly; however, gluten-free food will also be helpful for them.