Summary

Celiac disease is a genetic malady, and the disease is triggered by a protein in wheat called gluten. Gluten is found in wheat, rye and barley, and sufferers have an immune system response to the presence of gluten in their intestinal tract. The immune response creates antibodies that mistakenly attack the lining of the small intestine.

Original source:
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Healthology/story?id=633640

Details

• Until recently, celiac disease has been considered a children's disorder marked only by gastrointestinal (GI) problems.
• But more and more adults, including those without GI problems, are being diagnosed with this autoimmune disorder, which is trigged by eating wheat, rye and barley.
• An understanding of the links between celiac disease, also known as celiac sprue, and associated conditions, such as osteoporosis, is helping doctors identify more people with celiac disease.
• "Basically, there is an immune response to the gluten proteins, which eventually leads to inflammation and damage to the villi in the small intestine," explains Armin Adaedini, PhD, an assistant professor of neuroscience at Weill Cornell Medical College of Cornell University.
• It may occur when someone has a gastrointestinal infection; GI infections have been found to increase risk of the development of celiac disease in children.
• In adults and children, the villi damage caused by celiac disease can lead to symptoms such as abdominal pain, diarrhea, pale, foul-smelling stool, weight loss and weakness.
• One reason the celiac disease diagnosis is challenging, however, is that the vague GI symptoms can also be caused by a number of other intestinal conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, gastric ulcers and Crohn's disease.
• If the test is positive---or if the test is negative but your symptoms strongly suggest celiac disease---you should undergo an intestinal biopsy, in which a piece of the intestine is removed and studied under the microscope to look for signs of celiac disease-related damage.
• But a diagnosis of celiac disease is not final until someone responds well to a gluten-free diet, which reverses villi damage; the diet is currently the only way to treat celiac disease, though some people may go on steroids to reduce inflammation if diet by itself does not improve symptoms.

Related Articles

Popular Topics: Celiac disease, Gluten, Symptoms, Diabetes, Breast cancer, Prostate cancer, Heart disease, Depression, High cholesterol, Osteoporosis, Vaccines, Autism, ADHD, Infertility, Weight loss, Cancer, Alzheimer's, Trans fats, Acrylamides, Fluoride, Mercury	Take Action: Support NaturalNews.com Email this article to a friend Share this article on: NewsVine | digg | del.icio.us Permalink to this article: http://www.naturalnews.com/007258_celiac_disease_gluten_symptoms.html Reprinting this article: Non-commercial use OK, cite NaturalNews.com with clickable link. <a href = "http://www.naturalnews.com/007258_celiac_disease_gluten_symptoms.html">Celiac disease becoming better understood</a>
Receive our Natural Health Newsletter for FREE Subscribe now (it's free!) to win. We randomly choose a subscriber each month to send $100 in eco-home products or a RealGoods.com gift certificate (our choice). Plus, you'll receive FREE news, articles and action alerts from NaturalNews.com editors and join over 800,000 monthly readers who report extraordinary health improvements after becoming a subscriber! Receive breaking news alerts on natural health solutions, renewable energy, the environment, global warming and more. Receive a free instant download of our $29 Secret Sources guide that reveals top sources for little-known health and diet solutions.	Your Email Address: Free Subscription Code: Enter the numbers you see: 100% free of charge. Unsubscribe anytime. Absolutely no spam. We respect your email privacy.
Recommended Special Report: Seven Words that can Change the World by Joseph R. Simonetta Read this special report now... "Seven Words That Can Change the World reveals the astonishing, simple truths that have the power to forever transform our world for the better while freeing our minds from the enslavement of limiting beliefs. This is not a text for the simple-minded; it is a guiding philosophy for the mindful, intelligent few who are wise enough to seek out -- and recognize -- the higher simplicities of truly purposeful living." - Mike Adams, the Health Ranger, editor of NaturalNews.com	More on NaturalNews.com: • Streaming Health Ranger Videos • CounterThink Cartoons • FREE Special Reports • Podcasts