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Celiac: What is it?
from:When a patient is celiac, the definition is that they have an auto immune disease which affects the small bowel. It is a condition which can be passed down through the genes. Additionally it seems to make no difference at which age the disease is contracted. Some symptoms include diarrhea, fatigue and there can be other symptoms that may show up in different organs around the body. It is commonly believed that celiac affects about 1% of Indo-European people, even though mostly the condition is under-diagnosed.
Why Are Some People Celiac?
People can suffer from celiac if they have an intolerance or reaction to something called gliadin which is a gluten protein which is found in wheat.
When exposed to gliadin a chemical change occurs and an enzyme knows as tissue transglutaminase changes the protein. There is then a reaction between the immune system and the bowel. This results in inflammation that causes the lining of the small intestine to flatten. When the small intestine is flat this negatively affects the ability to absorb any nutrients. Unfortunately the only way to treat Celiac is to adopt a gluten-free diet.
Celiac is known my many other names such as Celiac disease with ligature, Celiac sprue, endemic sprue and non-tropical sprue as well as gluten enteropathy and even gluten intolerance.
Some of the symptoms of Celiac include weight loss, diarrhea and tiredness. In children typically one symptom could be stunted growth. Bowel symptoms are not always evident . Where children aged between 9-24 months are concerned, bowel symptoms and problems with growth usually occur just before they are exposed to foods which have a gluten content.
In order that Celiac can be diagnosed, a patient needs to have tests, and according to the severity of symptoms, this normally establishes how the tests are performed. When the patient adopts a gluten-free diet normally within a couple of weeks symptoms slowly disappear. Following this over a period of a few months the levels of antibodies gradually return to a more normal level but the healing process can take time.
Unfortunately there is no cure for Celiac. In order to treat the condition a gluten-free diet is essential. This may mean that due to the absence and restrictions of certain foods, there could be a deficiency in nutrients and therefore there may be a need to take vitamins and/or mineral supplements.
The time it takes for Celiac to improve can differ greatly. For young people it may take a few months, whilst for more elderly people it can take a few years for things to get better.
However the benefits of eating gluten-free diet is especially noticeable in children as it causes their physical symptoms to become better and even their behavior improves, and their growth begins to pick up once more.
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