This is just a general introduction to what coeliac is, the symptoms, how its diagnosed and treated and some things to remember . Remember, if theres anything else you would like to know just ask!
What is coeliac disease?
Coeliac disease (CD, American spelling celiac) is a digestive disease that affects the small intestine. People who suffer from coeliac cannot tolerate a protien called gluten, which is found in wheat, barley, rye and sometimes oats. When people with CD eat a gluten containing food such as bread, it damages the villi that line the small intestine. Villi are small finger like protrusions that help to absorb nutrients from the food we eat. When they get damaged (as they do in CD) the Villi become flatter and in very bad cases (where the coeliac has been left untreated for a very long period of time) they can almost disapear, which makes it more difficult for food to be digested. This damage can be reversed with a Gluten free diet.
what are the symptoms of coeliac disease?
There are lots of different symptoms to coeliac scince it causes our body to shut down in lots of different ways, so i'm just going to list some of the more common ones here.
- nausea
- vommiting
- constipation
- diarrhea
- faliure to thrive (in babies and young children)
- iron deficiency anemia (due to the inability to absorb nutrients properly.)
- fatigue (generally feeling tired and weak)
- osteoporosis/brittle bone disease (in people with advanced CD, due to a lack of calcium)
- stomach ache
- being underweight
- being overweight (some doctors dont know this but being overwieght can be a sign of CD)
- an itchy rash called dermititus herpetiformus.
- infertility (in advanced female cases)
Some people with coeliac disease may have no symptoms at all, this is called asymptomatic or silent coeliac disease. Its important to remember that people without symptoms can still develop complications such as osteoporosis and (in very advanced cases) lymphoma which is a type of cancer.
How is coeliac disease diagnosed?
If theres a possibility of you having CD, you need to see your family doctor, the first thing they will do is a blood test to check for something called TTG (TranstissueTransGlutaminase). If this is raised (in the UK under 10 is normal, in the US under 5 is normal) then your doctor will refer you to a specialist called a gasteroenternologist who will probably want to do a biopsy. During a biopsy, a small flexiable tube with a camera on the end (an endoscope) is passed through your mouth and stomach into your small intestine. Then the doctor will take some samples of tissue to examine for damaged (flattened or broken down) villi. This procedure is usually carried out under moderate sedation so it doesnt hurt and you cant remember it.
How is coeliac treated?
Unfortunatly there isnt yet a cure for coeliac, although research is being carried out on the causes and on ways to block the damage that gluten does to the body. At the moment the only known treatment for coeliac is a complete gluten free diet. This diet has to be undertaken from diagnosis and needs to be carried on through life. Remember that even though you may not feel a reaction, the gluten will still damage your body, no matter how small the amount.
Things to remember:
*You are not alone, more and more people are being diagnosed with CD as awareness rises, so dont let it make you feel isolated, join local and/or international support groups to meet people just like you.
*coeliac is genetic, so its a good idea to get close family checked.
*When your first diagnosed you may need to come of dairy for a few months, this is because its the tips of the villi that digest lactose, so, when these are damaged it becomes difficult for your body to deal with dairy.
*Cross-contamination can be an issue, keep gluten containg food and gluten free food seperate to reduce the risk. Also use of seperate toasters, bread boards, bread knives and butter etc, can cut the risk of cross contamination greatly.
*If you ever need help just ask, i'll always be willing to help you and im sure that others will as well!
*Not all doctors are as aware of coeliac as they should be. Many still think that its a disease that only effects children and some dont even know which tests to order. So, if your doctor looks at you and tells you "its all in your head", dont be disheartened, its the doctor that needs a reality check not you
