Understanding Celiac Disease
How celiac disease works
What is celiac disease?
Celiac disease is a disease of the digestive system that damages the small intestine and interferes with absorption
for nutrients from food. People who are diagnosed with celiac disease cannot tolerate a protein called gluten
commonly found in barley, wheat, and rye. Gluten is commonly found in foods, but it is also found in products such
as stamp and envelope adhesive, medicines, and vitamins.
When people with celiac disease eat foods containing gluten, their immune system damages the small intestine. The
hair-like protrusions that line the small intestine, called villi, are destroyed. These hair-like protrusions
normally allow nutrients from food to be absorbed. Without villi, a person becomes malnourished. Celiac disease is
considered an autoimmune disorder and is a hereditary disease.
What are the symptoms of celiac disease?
Celiac disease symptoms may occur in the digestive system or in other parts of the body. Symptoms of celiac disease
may include gas, chronic diarrhea, abdominal bloating and pain, weight loss or weight gain, anemia, pale sores
inside the mouth, and itchy skin rashes.
Sometimes, a person with celiac disease may experience no symptoms. However, this does not exempt them from risk
associated with celiac disease, including malnutrition. Anemia, delayed growth, and weight loss are signs of
malnutrition.
How is celiac disease diagnosed?
Since many of the symptoms associated with celiac disease are similar to those of other diseases, diagnosing the
disease can be difficult.
However, researchers have discovered that people with celiac disease contain higher levels of certain
autoantibodies in their blood. While antibodies protect the body by attacking germs, autoantibodies react against
the body’s own molecules or tissues. Physicians will therefore test for celiac disease by looking for these three
autoantibodies:
• Immunoglobulin A (IgA)
• anti-tissue transglutaminase (tTGA)
• IgA anti-endomysium antibodies (AEA)
Before being tested, the patient should continue to eat a regular diet with foods containing gluten. If a person
stops eating these foods before the test, the results might come out negative even if celiac disease is
present.
Treatment for celiac patients
The only surefire treatment for celiac disease is a gluten-free diet. A doctor will ask a patient newly diagnosed
with celiac disease to consult a dietician to work out a gluten-free diet plan. The patient must also learn to read
ingredients lists and identify foods that contain gluten to make healthy, informed decisions when shopping or
eating out.
Following this diet will let the patient heal and stop all symptoms. Improvements may start within days of starting
the diet, and the small intestine will heal gradually.
Celiac patients must avoid gluten for the rest of their lives in order to maintain their health. Eating any amount
of gluten will damage the small intestine. If the disease is diagnosed too late, some problems may not improve,
such as delayed growth and tooth decay.
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