What is Celiac Disease?
Celiac Disease (CD) is a lifelong intolerance for gluten, more precisely, for liadin (alcohol soluble fraction of gluten), present in wheat, rye, barley. CD occurs in genetically predisposed patients, in children as well as in adults. The disease is more common in industrial countries and regions likeEurope, Russia, mediterranean countries, North- and South America, South Africa, India, Australia and New Zealand.
The intolerance leads to damages in the gastrointestinal tract. The consequence is the malabsorption of nutrients.Long term consequences, like gastrointestinal malignancy, lymphoma, osteoporosis and other autoimmune disorders can occur if this autoimmune disease remains untreated by a gluten-free diet.
What are the symptoms?
There are general, gastrointestinal and a big amount of atypical symptoms probably caused by Celiac Disease.
General symptoms
Weight loss, shortness of stature
Gastrointestinal symptoms
Diarrhoea, flatulence, sickness and vomiting, bellyache
Atypical symptoms
General: Malaise, weakness, fatigue, bad temper, skin rashes and irritability; Skeleton and Muscles: Bone pain, arthritis, dental enamel damage and osteoporosis; Metabolism: Anemia, edema, haemorrhages and spasms; Reproduction: Menstruation disturbance, delayed adolescence, decreased fertility, fetal loss and low birth weight babies; Neuropsychiatric: Peripheral neuropathy, anxiety states, depression and epilepsy.
Please note that many of these diseases are very rare.
Should you suffer from similar symptoms, please consult your physician.
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