Celiac Disease Signs and Symptoms

Celiac disease is a fairly common autoimmune disorder of the digestive tract.  Celiac Disease is also known as Celiac Sprue or Gluten Intolerance, is a chronic disease of the digestive system that causes damage to the intestine because of an allergic reaction to gluten, a protein found in barley, wheat, rye, and possibly oats. Eating these foods causes damage to the mucosal lining lining of the intestine, resulting in inflammation and the inability to properly digest and absorb nutrients.

In severe cases, celiac disease causes malnutrition and wasting syndrome, and until proper diagnosis and management of the disease was developed, celiac disease was often fatal.  We have put together a list of common signs and symptoms of celiac disease below.

The Most Common Signs and Symptoms of Celiac Disease include:

• Diarrhea
• Abdominal bloating and cramping
• Excessive and explosive gas
• Frothy, watery, odorous stools
• Weight loss
• Growth retardation in children
• Fever
• Muscle pain
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Skin lesions on the elbows, knees and buttocks
• Bone pain
• Tingling in the extremities
• Absence of menstrual periods
• Infertility
• Impotence
• Low blood pressure

Diagnosis of Celiac Disease

Celiac disease is diagnosed often through the presenting symptoms.  Other tests for a diagnosis of celiac disease include blood tests for anemia, autoantibody tests to gliadin, and a small bowel biopsy.  Some patients are put on a gluten-free diet and their symptoms are evaluated before and after the diet.  Many people are misdiagnosed as having irritable bowel syndrome, a common digestive condition that is not treatable with a gluten-free diet, though symptoms in some patients may improve.  Celiac disease often appears in infants when they are first fed gluten-containing foods.  The symptoms of celiac disease often disappear during adolescence, only to reappear again in adulthood.

Books For People With Signs and Symptoms of Celiac Disease

Celiac Disease Resources

General Patient Resources

• Celiac Disease Foundation

Celiac Disease Foundation (CDF) is a highly-regarded national organization recognized throughout the world.

http://www.celiac.org/

• Celiac . com

Provides gluten-free diet information. Includes articles, menus and a shopping cart for gluten-free foods.

http://www.celiac.com/

• Celiac Sprue Association

“Celiacs Helping Celiacs” – CSA is a non-profit organization and includes information on the disease, gluten-free cooking, a product listing, and Cel-Kids network.

http://www.csaceliacs.org/

Medical Resources

• Pub Med Health

Discusses causes, symptoms, treatment, risk factors, prevention and prognosis.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001280/

• Medicine Net . com

Learn about celiac disease (sprue) symptoms such as diarrhea, foul smelling flatulence (gas), abdominal pain, fatty stools, weight loss, anemia, easy bruising, and more.

http://www.medicinenet.com/celiac_disease/article.htm